Highway to Hell
by MysticalGoddessOfWords
Summary: "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Paige always hated that aphorism and she especially despised it now that it felt like she was barreling headlong down the highway toward it. But she only had herself to blame. A not so short story set after episode 03x11, "Wreck the Halls"
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Scorpion or its characters – I'm only torturing them for a while.**

So I must give you all fair warning from the start…..this story isn't for the faint of heart or, at all, in the holiday spirit. But I need to purge. And when I purge my dark side comes out. I get mean, especially toward the characters I'm angry with. And right now I'm angry with Paige. Well… I'm angry at the writers for what they've done to Paige this season but you know what they say about the messenger. I apologize in advance if it feels like I'm torturing you as much as Paige but unfortunately it is inevitable. I'm not angry at Walter at the moment but unfortunately he will be collateral damage.

This will be short (a handful of chapters) and brutal and is set approximately 2 months after "Wreck the Halls" and about six weeks after Tim leaves for Jordan.

You will likely not be happy with me at first. If you're willing to stick with me there is a method to my madness. But I believe the only way Walter and Paige can find their way back to each other is to hit rock bottom and I'm about to slam them both to the ground so hard there is bound to be some blood.

Thanks in advance for reading. Another author's note at the end.

* * *

 ** _Highway to Hell_**

Paige arched her back and she moaned, long and low, as she reached down and slid her fingers into his hair. She tugged on the short strands and felt him grunt against her clit as his tongue stopped swirling in lazy circles and started flicking hard and fast against her pulsing flesh. Her thighs trembled around his head, her body perilously close to her second orgasm of the night.

"Ohhh god, yes, right there."

She exhaled a shuddering breath and tugged his face closer, as she rocked her hips, urging him to once again make her see stars. He wrapped his lips around her clit and the tip of his tongue lashed at it in a rhythm that he'd quickly learned would send her instantly over the edge. They'd only been intimate for a few weeks but he was a fast learner when it came to mastering what she liked.

Paige's entire body convulsed as her orgasm slammed into her. She felt the pulsing low and deep in her belly, before it moved down and centered right where his tongue was lashing against her. She choked out his name as she let the pleasure roll over her, shuddering and trembling as her orgasm spread through every cell in her body. She released his hair and threw her arm over her face as she continued to pant softly.

He continued to use his tongue to soothe her tender flesh, alternating between kissing and swirling it over her, bringing her down from her high. Paige's thighs relaxed and fell open and her lips curved into a smile as she felt him crawl up over her body. His lips brushed against her skin eliciting a shiver and satisfied sigh to escape hers as he settled his weight on top of her.

He pushed inside, her swollen flesh engulfing him as his lips reached hers. Paige lifted her arm and wrapped it around him as he began moving inside her, slowly at first as her body adjusted to the feel of him, then more steadily as he thrust in long deep strokes.

"You come so easily," he exhaled gruffly against her lips but she could hear the affection in his voice combined with the smug knowledge that he could make her orgasm so easily.

Paige's eyes fluttered open and she looked into Tim's green ones. He was smiling down at her and her lips curved as she slid her hands into his hair, pulling his lips to hers. She closed her eyes again and kissed him. While his kisses had never lit her on fire, she couldn't deny he was very skilled.

Paige had been celibate for so many years she'd initially been hesitant to take this particular step in their relationship. Despite a fairly promiscuous past as a teenager, when she acted out after her mother abandoned her and, particularly, after her father died, Paige was rather conservative when it came to sex.

As she matured, she came to realize that sex and love were intertwined for her. When she met and fell in love with Drew, during her second semester of college, everything changed. At least for her. She stopped seeking solace and comfort from any guy who would pay attention to her. She gave everything to Drew - her heart, her fidelity and eventually the most precious thing in her life – her son. Drew was the one who slept around and cheated and then eventually abandoned her like everyone else in her life had.

So Paige deliberately avoided relationships with men and remained celibate for over a decade, giving everything to the boy who had her eyes and her father's name. Their lives were constantly uncertain as she struggled, alone, to provide for a child she didn't understand or connect with; the child she loved more than life. So men and sex were the last things on her mind.

It wasn't until she met Walter and became a part of Scorpion that their lives took on the stability she craved for her and her son, despite the instability of the kind of work Scorpion did. She now had steady money, a clean, warm and safe roof over their heads, one they weren't constantly in danger of being kicked out of, and, most recently, a relationship with a man who cared for her and showed her the kind of affection she'd once sought by offering her body willingly to what amounted to half the football team.

She and Tim dated for several months before she was willing to take him into her bed. She hadn't been sure she was ready, her feelings for him complicated and uncertain because there wasn't the fire in her blood for him the way she'd felt in the past. But he'd been patient and understanding and, when she finally let him touch her, it was like a setting a match to dried kindling. She went up in flames, almost instantly, the rest of the night practically a blur of pleasure, and now that she'd given herself up to it, her body was making up for all that lost time.

She was a normal, healthy woman with physical needs that hadn't been met, by anyone other than herself, in a _very long_ time. And her fingers and the few vibrators she bought over the years never quite did the job. It just wasn't the same.

For several long minutes their bodies moved in sync as Paige arched her back and bucked rhythmically beneath him. She'd already come twice but she knew he would urge another one from her. He was striving toward his second and final orgasm of the night, having first taken her from behind as he bent her over her bureau once they were both certain Ralph was asleep. His second orgasm always took a while and her body always reaped the rewards from the time it took.

Tim tore his mouth away from hers and brushed his lips across her cheek and down her throat. Paige lifted her hips off the mattress, meeting each of his thrusts as her fingernails scratched down his back.

"I love you," he murmured against her neck.

Paige's eyes flew open and her body froze as she felt like her heart stopped beating in her chest. He continued to thrust, oblivious to her distress, murmuring how beautiful she was. With shaking hands, she pulled his face out of her neck and when her eyes met his again, Paige now found herself starting into a very familiar pair of brown ones.

Walter looked down at her with the same intense gaze she'd seen from him for months, the one that scared the hell out of her, and she pushed on his chest, scrambling out from beneath him.

##############

Paige's eyes flew open as she sat up, abruptly, gasping Walter's name. She looked to her right, expecting to see Tim sleeping beside her like he'd done for the last few weeks before he left for Jordan. But all she found was an empty space barely illuminated by the sliver of moonlight shining through the curtains she'd forgotten to close before bed.

She buried her face in her hands as she struggled to catch her breath. She'd been having the same dream for the past two weeks and been waking from it in a panic just as she realized it wasn't Tim but Walter inside her. It always started out the same, an exact replay of Tim's last night before he left for the Middle East. Right down to the murmured "I love you."

He'd surprised her with the admission and although he reassured her he wasn't expecting her to say it back, he just wanted her to know his feelings before they were separated for so long, Paige still felt some measure of guilt that she hadn't been able to reciprocate. She wondered if that was why her subconscious kept replaying the moment over and over again while she slumbered.

She hadn't been able to say it back. She cared about Tim very deeply. He was good to her. He clearly adored Ralph and that meant more to her than anything else about him. But love was a word, and an emotion, Paige didn't take lightly. And as much as she cared for Tim, enjoyed his company, felt happy and content with him, and enjoyed sex with him, she didn't love him.

 _Yet._

Could she see herself feeling that way for him someday? Could she see him as a permanent part of her and Ralph's lives now that he was no longer a permanent part of Scorpion? She didn't have an answer, one way or the other at the moment, and that consumed her with even more guilt.

What Paige couldn't understand was why the dream always ended with Tim turning into Walter just after he told her he loved her. Or maybe she didn't want to understand because it would force her to admit what she had been vehemently denying and hiding from for months.

It had been almost two months since Christmas and her relationship with Walter was still very much strained. They were barely on speaking terms. She spoke to him only when it was absolutely necessary for Scorpion business. Other than that he gave her a wide berth, keeping his distance and giving her the space she hadn't need to tell him she wanted because even Walter O'Brien, with his stunted emotional capacity, realized he'd crossed a line that couldn't be uncrossed.

She was so angry at him for the first couple of weeks after Christmas and he'd made no attempt to broach the topic with her. He'd pulled back from her as much as she'd pulled back from him. Fortunately there were no life-threatening cases since before the holidays, and Paige knew they were probably overdue, but at least they hadn't been forced into close proximity any more than within the four walls of the garage.

 _It hurt._

She missed him. She missed how close they'd once been. She missed talking to him. She missed sharing things with him, particularly things about Ralph. Walter and Ralph's relationship hadn't suffered as a result of the rift between them. Paige made sure that her distance from Walter didn't distance Ralph from him because she knew how much her son loved his mentor. But she was starting to wonder if she and the genius would ever be able to mend the fracture between them.

And that thought made her sick to her stomach.

More guilt flooded her. Paige knew the fracture was as much her fault as his. And for once, the liaison was at a loss for how to fix it. She'd be lying if she said she didn't, at least partially, blame him for Tim leaving. But the reality was she was the one who insisted Tim take the job in Jordan. He would have stayed for her, of that she had no doubt. He would have endured dealing with Walter, at least until he began to resent her for it, but Toby was right. Tim was a leader and Walter would never give up any leadership in his team nor fully accept the former Seal as part of it.

He was never supposed to be a permanent part of the team. Initially he was only scheduled to shadow Cabe and work with Scorpion for a few weeks before moving onto another division of Homeland. That ultimately turned into a few months and eventually turned into what was going to be a permanent position. She suspected that was truly what bothered Walter the most. The decision to make Tim a permanent member of _his_ team was not _his_. Tim presented the request to Cabe, who had just gone ahead and submitted the paperwork to Homeland. It was thrust upon Walter and the genius didn't take those kinds of things well.

In hindsight she should have realized that. Translating him, and for him, was her main job and, in all honesty, she had fallen down on that job quite a bit in the last year. It wasn't until Tim left that, even though she and Walter were estranged, she realized how much she'd failed at her job, and ultimately him.

Yet one more thing to feel guilty about and one more reason she was keeping her distance from him.

Paige knew she shouldn't be dreaming about Walter when she was in a relationship with Tim but she couldn't stop her brain from dreaming, as much as she wanted to. She woke up gasping and disoriented and very often aroused and she didn't know which part of the dream was causing it. It should be Tim, her boyfriend, but she suspected it was Walter and once again guilt flooded her to such an extent she felt nauseated.

Paige shoved the covers off her sweat soaked body and ran to the bathroom. She barely made it to the toilet before she heaved and emptied the last remnants of the pizza dinner she and Ralph shared hours earlier.

When all that was left coming out of her was bile, Paige sat back against the side of the tub, again burying her face in her hands until she felt steady enough to stand. This was how her nights had been lately. She'd wake up from these dreams, lose the contents of her stomach, and then spend the next several hours unable to go back to sleep until her alarm, finally, went off.

She pushed to her feet and walked over to the sink to brush her teeth and splash cold water on her face. She considered Skyping Tim. It was almost noon in Amman and he'd likely be at lunch. They usually Skyped on her lunch hour since that was the end of his day and he was back at his apartment. He'd call her before he went to bed, telling her all about his day and that he missed her and wished she was there with him. But at the moment she didn't know what she'd say, anyway, and a small part of her hoped they caught a case today so she would be out of the garage at lunch.

Paige reached for the toothpaste and discovered the tube empty. Ralph must have used it, once again neglecting to tell her he'd run out in his bathroom. Her genius son, like his mentor, typically paid no attention to the mundane everyday things and she realized it was time to again talk to him about responsibility.

With a sigh she pulled open the bottom draw of the vanity, where she kept the extra tubes. As she grabbed one, she noticed the small calendar booklet she used to note her cycle. The toothpaste fell from her hand as it dawned on her she couldn't remember the last time she pulled that calendar out.

She grabbed it and opened the small book, her eyes frantically scanning the pages, flipping back and forth between December, January and February. The last time she'd marked it was the third week in December when she'd had her period just before Christmas. But there was nothing marked off in January and it was now mid February.

Paige lifted her eyes and she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was as white as a ghost, her eyes full of panic, and only one thought flooded her mind.

 _Not again!_

* * *

For those of you who made it to the end, thanks for reading. I'd love to hear your thoughts…. both good and bad.

And I know I still have two other open stories. I don't usually like having more than one story going at a time and now somehow I have three. But I'm editing the final chapter of _Married_ and hope to have that up before the new year. Then I'll get back to _Because You Want To_.

Now, if you don't want to hear my soapbox you should probably stop reading but I need to get a few things off my chest about the state of the show at the moment.

I worked in the film and television industry for almost 20 years until I retired in 2014. So I know how this goes. Historically television shows do not have a good track record of staying on the air after getting couples together - particularly for the one hour episodic genre. Writers get lazy and panic - not knowing how to keep the show and storylines fresh and interesting without the constant tension caused by the "will they or won't they" dynamic. And the audience does get bored despite their insistence that they won't.

It's a very delicate balance for writers, producers and actors that, more often than not, fails, so despite my own desire for Walter and Paige to just get together already I don't mind them remaining apart for now. I just wish the writers had ended the love triangle that always seems to be the go to way that is used to keep couples apart. Where I think the Scorpion writers really screwed up is that they had the perfect opportunity to show that Paige was not as invested in the relationship as Tim had become and they blew it.

When she insisted he go - he jumped at it awful fast - which was quite telling in so many ways. But when he insisted they could make it work - skyping everyday - that would have been the perfect time for her to say something like "eight months is a long time so let's just see how it goes." Or even if she said something like "you should focus on what you need to do and I'll be here when you get back" that still would have left her an out because being apart for that long is not easy and shit happens when people are apart - particularly if they are not truly committed to one another. Consistently over the years my husband and I were apart for 6 or more months at a time when I was filming on location and while that wasn't an issue for us - I saw so many people with good intentions realize that the long distance thing wasn't something they could maintain.

Now Paige is not a cheater and I don't think Tim would be either but Paige doesn't seem, to me, to be the kind of woman who could have a successful long distance relationship – particularly after what Drew did to her. And the writers could have used this opportunity for Paige and Tim to grow apart while Paige and Walter grew closer - show Walter becoming more of the man that could give her what she needs emotionally. Nothing would have to happen between Paige and Walter primarily because I don't think Paige would do that because of what Drew did to her. But she could become very conflicted and then they could have brought Tim back for a few episodes - show them awkwardly trying to get reacquainted and recapture the potential that was there before he left and realize it wasn't going to work. Because Paige was in love with Walter and always had been and always would be.

But alas I am not one of the writers of the show so my opinion means nothing but I just needed to get that off my chest.

Happy holidays everyone! I wish all of you a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own anything related to Scorpion but, man, if I did it would be on HBO and this Tim/Paige/Walter love triangle never would have happened because Walter and Paige would have been too busy "gettin' busy" on every flat horizontal surface in the garage. Probably some vertical ones too.

First, thank you to everyone who read and reviewed and who are willing to stick it out and trust me when it comes to this story. You don't have to worry there will be no more Paige and Tim sex scenes... I've gotten that poison out of my system.

But I must again warn... Danger Will Robinson…. Danger! Although I give you a slight reprieve for the first half of this chapter there is more angst ahead! In fact, this is only the beginning of the bloodshed, my friends, so hold on to your hats.

There will be a handful of scenes from Walter's POV in this story but the majority is from Paige's. After all, she's the one I'm angry with. However, I have to say this experience has been very cathartic and my love for her is starting to resurface.

Thanks for reading.

* * *

 ** _Highway to Hell – Chapter 2_**

Paige texted Walter when it was what one would consider a normal hour, telling him she wasn't feeling well and would be a little late for work.

He'd quickly texted back telling her to take the day off and to let him know if she needed him to send Toby over to check on her.

The liaison choked out a laugh because Toby was the last person on the planet she wanted to see. He'd see right through her, instantly reading the panic that was consuming her, and he'd figure it out. He could perform voodoo like that with his eyes closed and sometimes it really pissed her off.

After dropping Ralph at school Paige managed to convince her doctor to squeeze her into an emergency appointment. The girl who answered the phone must have heard the desperation in her voice because she returned quickly from speaking to the doctor and told Paige to be there at ten thirty sharp.

Now the liaison was sitting in her car outside the garage with prenatal instructions from her doctor in one hand while the other gripped the steering wheel so hard her fingers were white. She had no idea how she'd driven here, everything after the doctor confirmed what Paige already knew, was a blur, but she somehow made it safely to the garage and now she was parked next to Walter's car. A car that was identical to hers in all but color.

Paige couldn't believe she'd gotten herself in this situation again. She went ten years being celibate, took precautions once she started a sexual relationship and, yet, managed to get herself knocked up, again, in less than four months.

There was no one else in Paige's life, anymore, who knew that Ralph wasn't her first pregnancy. She'd gotten pregnant, the first time, her senior year in high school by her boyfriend, Boyd, the captain of the football team. Her father had died halfway through the school year but since she was eighteen and had no other family, her mother was long gone by that time, she just continued to live in her father's house and finished out the school year.

When she finally got the courage to tell Boyd he denied it was his, told her she was crazy and he wasn't going to let her blow the full scholarship Stanford had offered him. Not that it had mattered in the end. The pregnancy, as it turned out, wasn't viable and she suffered a miscarriage a couple of weeks later.

That was when she decided to sell her father's house and use the money for college, determined to start fresh and move on from the tragedy that had befallen her. But as it, also, turned out her father was in a pile of debt and she only netted just enough money to pay for her first year of college. Then she met Drew and got pregnant with Ralph during her second semester of freshman year and the rest, as they say, was history.

The team knew so little about her somewhat sordid past, something that surprised her because she had fully expected them to have done a background check on her. They hacked _everyone's_ records. But no one had ever said anything.

She wasn't proud of many of the things she did in the past but Ralph was the absolute best thing she had ever done in her life. Although when she first found out about him she'd had a fleeting moment of panic, that "oh no, not again" feeling where she considered terminating the pregnancy, but ultimately she was unable to do it.

It wasn't a question this time. She'd once told Walter she sometimes wished she'd given Ralph a sibling, but it would have been unfair to bring another child into the chaos and uncertainty that were her and Ralph's lives. She fully expected and hoped she would be married if, and when, she ever had another child but that, apparently, wasn't her destiny. Now she just had to figure out a way to tell Tim, who was halfway around the world for the next six months, he was going to be a father.

A wave of nausea came over her and she swallowed it back as best she could, deciding she never should have come to the garage. She needed time to figure this out, and talk to Tim, before she faced any of the geniuses. They always knew when something was off, especially Toby, and having the behaviorist up in her face this morning was not something she could handle.

She'd just shoved the paperwork from the doctor back into her purse when she jumped at the sound of a knock on the window beside her.

She turned to find Walter looking at her, his brows furrowed, concern in his eyes and Paige felt like she'd been punched in the gut.

Oh god, how was she going to tell Walter?

She could hide from the fact that she was hurting him every day she was with Tim as long as she kept her distance from him. He studiously avoided looking at her most of the time, now, something that both hurt and relieved her at the same time. But just how would he look at her when he found out she was carrying Tim's child?

She inhaled a shuddering breath as she rolled the window down.

"Are you okay?" he asked before the glass was even halfway down. "I thought I told you to stay home."

"I should have listened," she replied quietly, avoiding his gaze. "I'm not up for coming in so I'm just going to head back home."

"Tim is on Skype waiting for you," he said before she could roll the window up. Her eyes widened and she hoped he couldn't see the panic in them.

"He rang through to your laptop and Toby was about to tell him you were home sick when I noticed your car out here. You don't look very good." She looked back at him to see him frowning as his eyes scanned her face. "You shouldn't have come out today."

 _Damn!_

He just continued to look at her his eyes turning from concern to full blown worry and it made her chest ache. It was the first time they'd really looked in each others eyes since Christmas Eve when she said goodnight to him.

Why did just looking at him still hurt so much?

"What do you want me to tell him?"

Paige shook her head, frustrated. She obviously couldn't tell Tim with the others around but Paige didn't feel ready to share it quite yet, anyway, so she shut her car off and pulled her key from the ignition.

"I'll come in and talk to him for a few minutes before I go home."

"Okay," Walter said a bit uncertainly as he stepped back and opened her door.

"Thank you," she murmured softly as she stepped out and headed toward the garage with just a brief glance at Walter She couldn't bear to look at him, afraid he'd see the truth in her eyes.

When she entered the garage she found Sly and Toby at her desk chatting with Tim.

"Oh, hey, here she is," Toby said as he stepped back away from the screen. She could feel his eyes on her as she approached her desk and Paige pasted a smile on her face she was sure everyone could see through her.

"Don't touch anything if you don't have to, please," Sly said as he backed up and reached for the hand sanitizer on his desk.

"Hi sweetheart," Tim greeted as he smiled at her through the computer.

"Hi," Paige said as she sat down in her chair.

Tim jumped right in asking her how she was feeling and telling her he missed her and she almost missed Toby's less than quiet mutterings to Happy in the kitchen behind her.

"She doesn't look that sick to me. But something is definitely off with her."

Paige stiffened but kept her focus on Tim even though, for the rest of her call, she felt Toby's eyes wearing a hole in the back of the head.

##############

Paige disconnected the call and stood up. Her call with Tim lasted the usual amount of time but for some reason it felt like a lifetime. Probably because of the prying ears and eyes she could feel more acutely than usual. Then again, maybe she was just being paranoid but, regardless, all she wanted to do now was go home to bed. She grabbed her coat and tugged it on before pulling her hair out of the back of the collar.

"Do you want someone to drive you home?" Walter asked as he approached her desk.

"I'm capable of driving myself home, Walter."

"Uh, okay," he said with a frown. She was so tired of seeing him frown. It seemed like he never smiled anymore and she wondered briefly is she was the same way. He turned to walk away and she sighed before reaching her hand out and touching his elbow.

"Walter, wait."

He stopped and slowly turned around to look at her.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you."

He stared at her for a moment before he responded. "You're clearly not well. It's understandable that your tolerance level is lower than normal."

She couldn't help the way her lips involuntarily curled up on the side because that was just so him; trying to make her irrational behavior logical because that was the only way he could process it.

"And, uh, I know your tolerance level for me is virtually, um, non-existent these days so..."

Walter trailed off as his face scrunched up and the half smile on her lips vanished. He was right. She gave him no leeway these days and it wasn't right. She wasn't angry with him anymore. She was just holding on to her resentment and it wasn't fair to either of them. And it wasn't healthy for her or her baby. She needed to make things right with him before everything changed because she feared if she didn't they would be permanently and irreparably broken. And she couldn't bear the thought of that.

"Can we talk for a minute?" she asked adding, "In private?" when she saw both Toby and Sly perk up.

"Uh, of course," Walter nodded as he motioned toward the stairs.

She hadn't been in his loft since before Christmas and her heart pounded with each step she took up the stairs.

She'd been in his loft hundreds of times over the years and there was no reason it should make her stomach ache but it did. Or maybe that was the child growing inside her, the one that should be his. But wasn't.

When they stepped into his living room, he turned and looked at her again and she thought he looked almost afraid.

What had she done to him? When had he become afraid of her? Probably when she selfishly shut him out as a means of protecting herself. Walter feared abandonment by those he loved, as much as she did, and she hadn't told or shown him, in far too long, that he needn't fear that from her no matter how angry he sometimes made her.

"Walter, I want us to clear the air. I can't stand the tension between us."

She saw his shoulders sag and relief sweep over his face before he started speaking in the fast paced way he did when he was nervous or anxious.

"Neither can I. I know I-I screwed up and hurt you. And Tim. I was selfish and j-jealous and hurt and I acted out immaturely. I never meant to hurt you. I never want to hurt you. What can I do to fix this?" he asked his face registering hope for the first time in a very long time.

Paige wanted to sob and she didn't know if it was the hormones, which seemed to kick in awfully quick since she found out she was pregnant, or the quiet desperation in his tone as he spoke, or the love, he no longer knew how to hide, in his eyes.

She wondered briefly if it was just her knowledge of how he felt about her that made her recognize it or if she would have seen it otherwise. But he'd looked at her like that for so long and she never understood what it was and it made it hard to breathe to know that even when he couldn't admit it, even when he vehemently denied it, even when he didn't know himself that what he felt for her was love, it had always been there in his eyes.

The first time she remembered seeing that look was when they danced during the stolen artwork case. But that couldn't be right. He didn't believe love existed back then.

"Paige," he said her name again and she met his eyes. "What can I do to fix things between us? I just miss you."

"I miss you too, Walter," she whispered over the lump in her throat. "Believe it or not you are my best friend and being estranged from you hurts me."

His eyes flashed with emotion and she saw his fingers flexing at his sides.

"Can we start over?" he asked. "I won't ever try to interfere in your relationship again. You have my word."

Paige wasn't sure she completely believed him because she knew Walter couldn't help himself, sometimes, but she wanted to believe. She didn't know what was going to happen with her and Tim or how the Seal would react to her news. But they were going to share a child and, like Drew, he would be in her life forever now, even if their relationship didn't ultimately work out.

Walter's eyes anxiously scanned her face as he waited for her to respond but, as happened far too often recently, words failed her. So without another word she stepped toward him and wrapped her arms around him, needing to touch him, having missed it for so long.

She expected him to tense, which he did, and she expected him to pull out of her embrace, which was what he, also, usually did. But she gasped when she felt his arms wrap around her and clutch her tight. He buried his face in the hair against her neck and he muttered something so softly she couldn't make out the words but could have sworn was "I'm sorry."

The embrace lasted longer than any they'd shared previously and it felt too good, better than it should, so Paige carefully extricated herself from it, pulling back and then stepping back to put distance between them.

She saw another brief flash of emotion in his eyes, this time sadness, and then it was gone. He schooled his features and he opened his mouth to speak but his words were drowned out by the sound of Ferret Bueller screeching from his cage in the living room.

Walter chuckled and shook his head.

"He's missed you too."

Needing more distance, Paige walked over to the cage and opened the door. The ferret jumped out and into her arms, burrowing down against her chest as he chattered happily.

"We're slow today so you should go home and rest," Walter said from where he still stood next to the counter. "Maybe you should have Toby take a look at you since you're here anyway?"

Paige shook her head. "No. I'm fine. I'm feeling better so I think I'll do a little work since I'm already here."

"Uh, okay," Walter said but she could tell he wanted to say more.

Ferret Bueller shimmied his small body up Paige's chest and buried his head under her hair and she laughed.

"Can I take him downstairs with me?" she asked as she started toward the door.

"Of course," he said and as she exited the door she thought she heard the words. "Thank you."

###########

It wasn't until the weekend that Paige had an opportunity to arrange for a private call with Tim in the evening because he had gone off the grid for a few days while they were scouting for locations for a new building. She'd just tugged on her pajama top when her laptop screen lit up with the Skype call from him. She'd asked him to call her when he woke up, before he headed into the office, because there were too many prying eyes and ears at the garage.

"Hi sweetheart," he greeted her in the usual manner.

She dropped down onto the bed and crossed her legs as she sat in front of the screen. "Hi."

"You look tired," he said as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

She was tired. All the time now.

She just jumped right in. "Tim I need to tell you something."

He snorted out a half laugh, grinning, as he gave her his full attention. "No good conversation starts that way."

She gave him a wry smile before she became serious again.

"I'm pregnant."

The smile slipped from his lips and she could see the shock as her words registered.

"I thought you were on birth control."

Really? Those were the first words he said in response?

"I am… I was," she corrected because she'd stopped her pills as soon as she found out she was pregnant. "But sometimes that doesn't matter."

When he didn't say anything else but just continued to stare at her, a feeling of déjà vu came over her. Drew had done the exact same thing. So had Boyd.

'Tim?" Paige said his name and he shook his head before meeting her eyes again.

"I'm sorry. I'm just a little surprised."

"You and me both."

His lips slowly morphed into a smile. "I wish I was there right now because I'd kiss you senseless."

"Tim," she said his name as she released a relieved chuckle. She hadn't been sure how he'd react and his first words had made her wonder if she was going to have another child alone. But Tim wasn't that kind of man.

"How do you feel? That's why you look so beat up, huh?"

"I feel fine," she said with a frown. She knew the dark circles under her eyes were getting a bit more pronounced lately but she didn't think she looked that bad. He must have sensed her thought because the next words he spoke brought tears to her eyes.

"You're more beautiful to me than you have ever been."

 _Stupid hormones._

"Tim," she sighed his name this time. "What are we going to do?"

"Hey," he said gently. "Paige, we'll figure this out, okay. I'll talk to my boss and see what kind of palms he can grease so we can get you and Ralph over here with me."

"I'm sorry, what?" Paige blinked sure she'd heard him incorrectly.

"I know uprooting Ralph in the middle of the school year will be tough but they have some very good private schools here and I'm sure the company can pull some strings and get him into one. And Amman has some of the best medical facilities in the Middle East. You and the baby will have the best care available."

Paige shook her head as she ran her fingers through her hair. "Tim, slow down. I'm not going to uproot Ralph and take him away from Walter and the team. Our life is here. My job is here."

Tim crossed his arms over his bulky chest as he frowned. "Paige, you can't possibly think I'm going to allow you to continue to work for Scorpion while you're pregnant. It's too dangerous."

"Excuse me," Paige said in a low voice that was far more dangerous than her work at Scorpion.

"Okay, that didn't come out quite right," he admitted with a sigh as he dropped his arms. "But Paige you know how often those cases go sideways. I worry about you constantly as it is but now with the baby-"

"First of all, I would never put our baby in harm's way," Paige replied defensively.

"I didn't mean-"

And the rest of the conversation went downhill from there.

############

For the next several weeks Paige managed to keep her condition a secret from the team. She'd told no one but Tim, not even Ralph, because she and Tim were still trying to figure out how best to handle the situation considering he was on the other side of the world and would be for at least the next six months.

Paige had, initially, been disappointed, as unrealistic as it was, when Tim hadn't immediately offered to quit his job and come back to Los Angeles right away. But he had a job and a responsibility just like she did. This was different than when she was pregnant with Ralph. Drew refused to come off the road, where Tim told her he wanted to come back to her but had to honor the commitment he'd made.

She went on the road with Drew because she was young and afraid to be alone and pregnant. But she was now older and had taken care of herself and her son, alone, for a long time. She knew how to do it. She could do it. But she'd be lying if she said she didn't desperately want Tim back with her because the thought of doing it alone, again, was as exhausting at the slight anemia she was suffering from.

It was lunchtime and she was alone in the garage catching up on paperwork while waiting for Tim to call. They usually spoke at night now, so their conversations could be kept private. He knew she hadn't told the team yet, so when they spoke while she was at the garage, they always kept their conversations light and vague.

Toby and Walter were picking up Ralph at school because it was a half day and they were taking the youngster for _guy's_ lunch.

She knew she had to tell the Walter and the team soon because she could feel the suspicion rising in all of them, particularly since she was moody and tired all the time. She'd overheard Sly ask Toby about it and the behaviorist said something noncommittal about her and Tim and Skype sex before Paige left the garage in a huff after smacking Toby against the back of the head.

Fortunately Walter hadn't been there that day, but she felt him watching her, again, the way he had in the past. He'd honored his word and said absolutely nothing about Tim or her relationship. He didn't ask why she and Tim didn't Skype as often anymore, even though she could tell he was listening intently when Toby tried grilling her two days prior.

Paige was grateful Walter was honoring his promise to her but she could tell he was still brooding and almost sad all the time. The only time she saw him laugh and smile was when he was spending time with Ralph or her and Ralph.

They'd resumed their weekly Wednesday dinners at Kovelsky's, which had stopped when she was dating Tim. She gleaned so much pleasure out of watching her son and his mentor, eagerly soaking in their excitement about the current projects they were working on together. They were the perfect partners and far too often her stupid hormones had her reacting emotionally to watching them together again. Her damn hormones were going to give her away so she planned to tell Ralph and Walter this weekend. She just wished she wasn't so terrified of how they would both react.

##########

"Something's up with the liaison," Toby said as he unceremoniously kicked his feet up onto Walter's dashboard as they headed toward Ralph's school.

"What are you talking about Toby?" Walter asked without taking his eyes off the road. "And get your feet on my dashboard please."

Toby ignored him.

"Something. is. up. with. Paige," Toby enunciated each word slowly and sarcastically. "Haven't you noticed?"

"I don't know what you mean." Walter shook his head even though he had noticed. He wouldn't admit it to Toby, though; because that would just be opening a can of worms he didn't want to deal with.

"The other day I walked in while she was Skyping with Timbo." Toby paused while he flipped the radio station. "And it appeared they were arguing but she just ended the call with him and told me to mind my own business when I asked what was wrong."

"Maybe you should mind your own business then," Walter replied not wanting to know. If he let himself wonder it just made it that much harder to ignore his feelings for Paige.

Toby scoffed. "Please, do you even know me? I know the two of you are all _hunky-dory_ lately but she's oozing guilt markers like a rabbit oozing pheromones for weeks. I wonder if there's trouble in paradise."

Walter pursed his lips. "It doesn't matter if there is; I promised her I wouldn't interfere again. And I won't break another promise to her."

"Hmmm..." Toby hummed. "I tried to do a little recon to see what I could find out but I got zilch."

"What do you mean recon?" Walter asked as he shot Toby a disapproving look.

"I went to my source."

"What source?"

"The progeny," Toby replied with a grin.

"You asked Ralph?" Walter turned the corner of the street to Ralph's school before he turned his head to glare at the behaviorist.

"Yup!" Toby nodded his head. "But the kid lacked any valuable Intel."

"You haven't asked him to spy on Paige, have you? She will have Happy murder you in your sleep if she finds out."

"Please..." Toby scoffed with a wave of his hand. "Happy would never do that unless she had something to gain from it."

Walter smirked. "Then you better make sure you never get a life insurance policy naming her as beneficiary."

"Hardy har har, 197. Now can we get back to the topic at hand?"

"Which is what exactly?" Walter sighed as Ralph's school came into sight.

"What Paige is hiding. Are you not paying attention?" Toby replied exasperated. "My _source_ ," he added again trying to make Ralph sound mysterious. "Said everything was alright at home. Aside from the liaison being a bit moody lately, which is no surprise to anyone, he said nothing was different."

"So maybe you're losing your touch," Walter offered.

"Bite your tongue big brain. My touch is right on point. Just ask my fiancé." Toby wiggled his eyebrows lewdly.

"Ew," Walter shuddered.

"You can joke and ignore it all you want, boss. But my spidey senses are telling me something is up and I will get to the bottom of it."

"It's your funeral," Walter retorted but he still worried Paige might think it was him behind Toby's actions. She seemed to want to blame him for most things these days.

They pulled up to the school and saw Ralph exit through the front door. The boy was frowning and stomping his feet as he approached the car.

"And stop using Ralph to spy or I'll tell Paige, myself."

"Tattletale."

Ralph opened the back door and threw himself into back seat, tossing his backpack down on the seat beside him roughly. Walter and Toby looked at each other before Walter looked back at the boy in the rear view mirror.

"Hey, buddy. Is everything alright?"

"Yes," Ralph muttered before leaning his head back and closing his eyes. It was something Walter had done as a teenager when the world was overwhelming him, when he needed to shut it out, and it was startling to see Ralph do the exact same thing.

"Are you sure Ralphy boy?" Toby asked as he turned around in the seat.

"Yes," Ralph replied peevishly, something the young genius was not by nature. "And can you please stop calling me Ralphy boy? I'm not a little kid anymore and I'm tired of people treating me like one."

He lifted his head and looked at Toby and Walter could see distress in his eyes.

"Yes, sir," Toby said with a salute before he turned around. He exchanged a look with Walter before he said under his breath so Ralph wouldn't hear.

"This is going to be a great lunch, I can just tell."

##############

"I'm coming home."

Paige was startled by the first words out of Tim's mouth before even his usual 'hi sweetheart'.

"What?" She sat forward in the chair and absently put her hand over her stomach.

"I've arranged for a brief leave of absence so I can come back to LA and we can figure this out. I want to be a part of this, Paige. It's driving me crazy being here when you're there. I want you with me."

Paige sighed as she sat back. This had been an ongoing circular conversation for weeks since she told him about the baby.

"Tim, we can't keep going in circles with this. Ralph and I moving to Amman is _not_ an option."

"I love you, Paige. We're having a child together, and we shouldn't be apart for the next five months. That's most of your pregnancy and I'm going to miss everything. If it means I have to leave Amman because you won't come here then so be it."

"What about your job?" Paige asked as she nervously looked around the garage even though she knew she was alone.

"I can find another job," he replied with a frustrated sigh. "I'll go back to Homeland. Or I'll speak to Walter about coming back to Scorpion."

Paige shook her head. "That's not a good idea, Tim."

"Why not?" he asked as he furrowed his brow. "I know Walter and I fought over you, well not really fought over you because he never had you, but it's different now. He has to understand there is no hope anymore."

Paige sighed and rubbed her temples. After their conversation last night she'd barely gotten any sleep and now she had a headache she hadn't been able to shake all day.

"Tim, you're not understanding me," Paige replied slowly so there would be no question what she was saying to him. While Tim was, by nature, a good listener, he often failed to hear things he didn't want to. "You coming back to Scorpion is a bad idea. It made things tense and uncomfortable and I stopped doing my job properly. My job is to help Walter and the team interact with the real world and I failed in that for too long."

Tim frowned and dropped the beer he was drinking onto the table beside his laptop.

"I know you mean well, Tim," Paige continued more gently. "And as much as I want you here with me for all of this, I don't want you to miss out on any of it; we need to think what will ultimately be best for all of us in the long run. You need to finish out your time in Jordan and then come back to head up the LA office. And I need to keep Scorpion level because the work we do here is too important to be fraught with personal chaos. And please don't misunderstand what I'm saying but you coming back will cause chaos."

She and Walter were finally back on level ground. In the past couple of weeks, since their talk in the loft, they had been getting along like they used to. Before either of them admitted to having feelings for each other, before they shared one very mind blowing kiss, and before he pushed her into Tim's arms. She needed Walter as much as he needed her and she couldn't risk anything undoing that.

"You don't need to work at Scorpion any longer," Tim insisted with a low growl.

She shook her head. He clearly hadn't been listening to her.

"Tim, I need to make a living and take care of my child. My children," she added and for the first time it really sunk in that she was having another child.

"I'll take care of all of you."

"It's not your place to take care of us," she replied plainly.

"Yes it is," he insisted again.

Paige shifted in her chair and slipped her fingers beneath the waistband of her pants. They were starting to get tight. "Tim, I will never put my children's welfare into the hands of anyone else ever again. I'm not a twenty year old girl who is foolish enough to think the father of her child will provide for him."

His eyes flashed. "I'm not Drew."

"I know you're not. I know you would never do what Drew did," Paige assured him. "You'd never abandon your child and leave me to raise him or her alone. I know that. But I'm not leaving my job. I love my job and I'm not leaving Scorpion to move to Amman."

Tim sighed heavily and she could see the tension and worry and stress on his face. "Paige, I don't want to argue with you. Let's just talk about this when I get back. I'll be there on Saturday."

"Okay," she agreed as she nodded her head. It would be better for them to just talk about this when he got back.

"Hey," he said to get her attention. "I love you, Paige." He told her all the time and she could see the disappointment in his eyes now every time she failed to reciprocate. "I'm not trying to bully you into doing anything you don't want to do. I just want to take care of you and our child. I want us to be a family."

"I know," she sighed. "Let's just talk when you get here, okay."

"Okay."

"God, I can't wait to see you, not through a computer screen, I mean," he said as his eyes lightened with excitement.

"I know," Paige said again as she smiled.

Even though he was alone in his apartment, Tim lowered his voice as he leaned toward the screen.

"I can't wait to get my hands on you even more."

"Tim," Paige flushed and again looked around frantically, half expecting someone to be listening but she was still alone.

He chuckled. "Maybe Ralph can stay with Sly for a night or two and I can take you away and show you how much I've missed you."

"Maybe," Paige said as her eyes softened. "Be safe."

"Always. I had two... but now I have three reasons to be."

###########

Ralph walked into the garage followed closely by Walter and Toby. Paige looked up from the summary report she was writing and smiled.

"Hi baby. How was school?"

"Fine," he grumbled as he shoved his backpack onto the chair beside the work table.

Paige's smile vanished. She hated that word when it came from either her son's or Walter's mouths because when they used it, particularly in that tone, they were the farthest thing from fine as a genius could get. Ralph had been cranky that morning before school but she just thought that was because she'd taken away his video game the previous night because he was playing it after bedtime. Apparently he was still sulking over that or there was something else going on. This was why she started picking him up from school so they had time to talk.

"What happened on the way home from school?" she asked Walter as he walked to his desk.

"He was like that when he got in the car," Toby replied as she frowned and then followed her son into the kitchen where he was grabbing a snack.

"Ralph, did something happen at school today?"

"No," he said as he avoided looking at her.

"Then what has you so upset?" She shot a quick glance at Walter and she could see his concern as he watched them.

"Nothing," Ralph replied with a scowl.

"It must be something. Maybe I can help, so why don't you tell me?"

He was quiet for so long Paige was starting to think he wasn't going to answer but then he snorted quietly. "Like you don't know," he said loudly as he looked up at. His eyes were angry and she was slightly taken aback because he never looked at her like that.

Paige could see Walter and Toby hovering, trying and failing miserably to be discreet, while they eavesdropped. Ralph's raised voice, which was a rarity, had also caught the attention of Happy who moved to her desk from her workbench, while Sly sat at his desk with his head down because any kind of raised voice made him anxious.

Paige wanted to strangle them all and tell them to buzz off but her son's tone had struck a nerve in her. While normally an extremely patient person, her patience, lately, was wearing thin. She knew it was a mixture of the changes in her body as well as the situation with Tim and the fact that she still hadn't confided in anyone about her condition. She could use someone to talk to but the only people available were ones she wasn't ready to know yet. Her hesitation was cowardly, she knew, but she couldn't help it.

"First of all, Ralph, you don't speak to me like that," she said sternly as she crossed her arms. "Second, if I knew what was bothering you I wouldn't ask. And third, if you're angry at me for some reason, which is what it seems like, that's okay. But what isn't okay is how you're behaving and speaking to me. Now what is going on with you today?"

Ralph heaved out a long breath and he crossed his arms, mirroring her stance.

"I don't want to talk about it right now," he grumbled as he started to walk away.

"Okay, mister, stop right there," she said in the tone she very rarely used with him. Or anyone. It was her 'I'm completely fed up and I'm going to kick some ass now' tone.

"I don't want to go to Amman," he said abruptly.

"What are you talking about?" She looked at him confused.

"I don't want to move to Amman," he said again as his arms dropped and he visibly deflated.

"Who said anything about moving to Amman?" she asked her voice gentle now.

"I heard you and Tim talking last night." Ralph looked up at her guiltily because he knew she didn't like it when he eavesdropped.

Paige's face went white. "You were supposed to be asleep."

"I know." Her son now looked sheepish. "But it was weird that you made me go to bed early. I could hear your voices through my door. I could tell you were fighting."

"See, I told you," Paige heard Toby hiss as he smacked Walter's arm. She made a mental note to kick Toby's ass later.

"Sweetie, we weren't fighting," Paige assured Ralph, although that wasn't the complete truth.

He gave her a look that said she clearly was forgetting he was a genius. "I know what it sounds like, mom. I remember you and dad fighting before he left."

"Oh, Ralph," Paige sighed sadly as she stepped forward and ran her fingers through his hair soothingly. "That was different and I'm so sorry you ever heard that. But Tim and I weren't fighting. We were having a disagreement. Adults disagree sometimes."

"He said he wanted us to move to Amman."

Ralph pulled his head away and Paige dropped her hand to her side.

"Yes, he did. But we're not going, sweetheart. Our lives are here. And he'll be back in a few months anyway. You don't have to worry about it."

"Really?" He sounded so hopeful and it broke her heart that he'd thought, even for a minute, that she'd take him away from his home. Because Scorpion was their home and she would never let anything change that.

"Really," she assured gently. "Come here, baby."

Paige reached for him and pulled him toward her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she brought his head against her chest. His arms hung down at his sides, not reciprocating as usual, as she brushed her fingers gently through his hair again. But then she felt his arms move and slip up around her waist, hugging her tight, tighter than he'd ever hugged her, as he buried her face in her breasts and Paige felt a sob catch in her chest.

Paige could feel Walter's eyes on her and she looked at him briefly, his intense gaze stoic and guarded. He then turned toward his desk without a word and Paige sighed. There went their truce.

After a minute, Ralph pulled away, stepped back and looked up at her.

"Mom, you don't have to do it, you know."

Paige looked down at him confused. "Don't have to do what? I already told you we're not moving to Jordan."

Ralph bit his bottom lip the way she often did and he hesitated before he finally spoke. "Just because you're having a baby doesn't mean you have to marry Tim. You didn't marry my dad just because you were pregnant with me."

"Oh my god," Toby gasped from where he was hovering beside Walter. "You're pregnant?"

"What? How?" Paige sputtered as she gaped at her son.

"Oh, shit," Toby added a second later as his eyes widened. "You're marrying Tim?"

Happy's voice came from behind her. "Not good."

Paige looked over to see Walter stiff and immobile, the only movement to indicate that he wasn't a statue was the rising and falling of his upper back as he breathed. Paige didn't need to be standing next to him to know it was shallow and labored.

He turned slowly and lifted his eyes to look at her. She gasped at the pain she saw reflected in them. She had never seen that look in his eyes in the entire time she'd known him; not even when Megan died.

But it wasn't just pain she saw. It was agony, despair and loss of hope and Paige felt her throat closing up.

"Walter," she choked out his name as she stepped toward him.

"No," he commanded as he stepped back, the back of his legs hitting his desk and knocking the stack of folders on the corner to the floor.

"Walter, please let me explain."

"No," he barked again, the tone of his voice reminiscent of the time he blew up at Cabe when he learned the truth about Bagdad. Walter tossed the tablet he was holding onto his desk, ignoring it when it slid across the wooden surface and crashed to the floor. He strode around it and started searching through his drawer. Paige could see his hands shaking and when she saw him lift his keys out of the drawer she felt the panic flood her system.

"Walter, please don't drive like this."

"You've lost all rights to make any requests of me," Walter choked harshly before he turned toward the door.

"Walt, wait." Toby stepped into his path. "Come on 197, why don't you let me drive you wherever you want to go."

"Toby, get out of my way." Walter's tone broached no room for argument.

"Walter!"

"Walter!"

"Walter!"

Sly, Paige and Ralph all said his name at the same time Happy spoke up.

"Yo, O'Brien, don't be a ding dong. Just let the Doc drive you. Because I won't pull you up off a cliff a second time," the mechanic warned but Paige could hear the underlying worry in her voice.

Ignoring all of them, Walter clenched his fists at his sides as he tried to sidestep Toby, only to be thwarted by the behaviorist. "Toby, if you don't move out of my way I won't be responsible for my actions."

"Yeah, yeah," Toby rolled his eyes in an attempt to break the tension that had filled the room. "You've swung at me before and you hit like a sis-."

Walter's fist connected with Toby's chin before the behaviorist could finish his sentence and the slightly taller genius went stumbling backwards, lost his footing and fell on his ass.

"That's before Tim taught me how to punch," Walter growled as he shook his hand at his side.

"Oh my god, Walter. Stop this right now," Paige pleaded and he looked over at her. She could have sworn she saw tears brimming in his eyes before they lost any light she'd ever seen in them.

"You were the love of my life," he said, his voice breaking on the last four words, before he turned and strode out of the garage leaving the entire team stunned.

Everyone but Ralph, who rushed out the door after him.

"Walter!"

When the shock of his words wore off, Paige rushed after her son to find him sitting on the sidewalk, burned tire tracks staining the street in front of him. When he looked up at her, it was with tears welling in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said and Paige felt herself die a little inside.

###############

"Here."

Paige walked up to Toby with a fresh ice pack for his cheek.

"Thanks," he said as he swapped packs with her before cringing when he pressed the new one to his battered flesh.

"How many days do you have to keep icing it?"

"Until all the swelling goes down. Who knew your fiancé was such a stellar boxing coach."

Paige put her hands on her hips as she glared at him. "I told you, Toby, he's not my fiancé. I haven't said yes. Ralph was mistaken."

"But you haven't said no to him either, have you?"

"It really isn't any of your business," she huffed before walking to the freezer and putting the lukewarm ice pack inside.

"You don't just rock a ship, do you Dineen? You capsize the sucker," he called from his seat and she marched back over to him.

"Toby, I don't need your sarcasm right now."

Paige lifted her fingers to her temples and tried to rub the never ending ache away. Toby sat forward, reached for her wrist and pressed two fingers against her pulse.

"How are you feeling?"

She pulled her hand away. "I've been better."

"How anemic are you?"

Paige looked at him with surprise and he arched his brow before grimacing.

"Damn, I'm gonna clock big brain when he gets back here. I can't even use my signature smug look with all this swelling. So how anemic are you?" he asked again.

"Of course you know." She sat down heavily in the chair beside his. "It's not severe but I haven't gotten much sleep the past couple of days so I'm more exhausted than usual."

"You need to take care of yourself, Paige," Toby said gently. "Despite how much of a drama queen he's being right now, you know Walt wouldn't want you to hurt yourself because you were worrying about him."

"Where is he Toby?" she asked him wondering if she sounded as desperate as she felt. "He's been gone for two days."

Paige knew this because she and Ralph had been staying at the garage, sleeping in the loft, waiting for him to return.

But he never did.

"Paige, you need to give 197 a minute to process, okay. I've been watching him on the GPS and as long as it's still moving and his credit card keeps being used then we know he's okay. Or someone stole it from him when he was unconscious on the side of the road."

"Toby!" Paige snapped irritated before she asked more softly. "Where did he go?"

"The Canadian border," Toby replied after a minute.

"Why is he so reckless sometimes?"

"You already know that answer."

"I know, I know," she muttered knowingly. "The higher the IQ the more intense the adrenaline rush needed to distract him."

"You know, I don't think you do know." Toby said as he shook his head with a sigh. "Even after all this time, you still don't fully understand us. I'm not saying this to be cruel," he added when he saw her face fall. "You understand us better than any normal ever has, or will, I'm sure. But you just don't get what it's like for us."

"Then tell me what it is I don't get. What is it like for you?"

Toby looked at her like he was debating whether she could handle the answer. "You're it for him," He finally said. "There will never be anyone else and that is just a fact. And as long as he had hope, even if it was just an unrealistic sliver of it, he could function. He could survive and carry on, as long as he could hope you would one day realize you loved him too and would choose him. But he's lost that now."

Paige's eyes welled with angry tears. "You told me he'd get over me. You told me not to push him after his time in space. That I was being selfish for trying to get him to remember what he said to me. Now you tell me this is my fault because I adhered to your advice and let him go, even though it killed me to do."

Toby smiled sadly. "I didn't tell you to let him go. I told you to not push him because you were with Tim. And I certainly didn't tell you to flaunt your relationship all over the garage for him to have to see. If you wanted Walter you should have fought for him."

"How dare you-" Paige started but Toby just kept talking.

"He's never had anyone fight for him before; starting as a kid in Ireland with those wackjob bullies we met last year. _No one_ , but Megan, has ever loved him enough to fight for him. So you've got to cut him a little slack here, Paige. The _love of his life_ is pregnant by and marrying another man."

"I already told you I'm not marrying Tim!" she screeched through clenched teeth before inhaling a deep breath. "I didn't marry Drew when I was pregnant with Ralph and I loved him. I wouldn't marry a man I don't love just because…." She stopped abruptly and her eyes whipped to meet Toby's. "Oh boy.." she exhaled on a long breath.

"Well, well, well… "Toby drawled in that annoying way of his. "The plot thickens."

"Damn it! Sometimes I really hate you Toby," Paige sobbed before she stood up and walked away.

##############

The next morning, Paige and Ralph walked down the stairs after another night of tossing and turning and waiting for Walter to return.

"I don't want to go to school," Ralph complained. "Last night Toby said Walter's car was heading back toward LA so he'll probably be back soon."

"Ralph, please don't fight me on this. You've already missed three days and its Friday so you only have today and then you can have the weekend off. You have to at least get the school work you missed."

"At least I'll have something to do after Tim gets back tomorrow," he muttered under his breath but Paige heard him.

She didn't want to argue with him. They were both on edge about Walter but the knowledge that he was finally on his way back was palpable relief. But Tim was due back the following morning, too, and Ralph was less than thrilled.

However, she and Tim needed to figure out what to do about the baby. There was one thing Paige was absolutely certain about though. She and Tim needed to have a serious conversation about their relationship because she and Ralph were not moving to Jordan and she was not accepting his proposal, although it hadn't been much of a proposal, really. More like an "I want to marry you" statement rather than a question. But just because she was carrying his child, she would not be pressured into something that didn't feel right.

Paige walked to fridge and pulled the bottle of orange juice out before pouring herself a small glass. After Toby apologized to her the previous night, he gave her a high potency iron supplement and told her to drink more orange juice which would help her body absorb the extra iron she needed to combat her anemia.

"Ralph, don't forget to grab your things upstairs because we're going home tonight. It's time we sleep in our own beds."

Paige walked out of the kitchen and held up the bottle of juice. "Do you want some Sly?"

The mathematician looked up from where he sat at his desk and shook his head. "Toby told all of us to leave the OJ for you and your little bun in the oven. Toby's words not mine," he added nervously when she narrowed her eyes at him.

The front door to the garage opened and Cabe, Happy and Toby walked in. All of them were wearing grim expressions.

Paige felt her stomach drop.

"Hey, kid, we need to talk," Cabe greeted seriously as he walked up to her. His no nonsense approach was usually refreshing and appreciated but for some reason it didn't feel that way this time.

"What's wrong Cabe?" Paige asked hesitantly as her eyes traveled from Cabe to Toby, then to Happy before moving back to Cabe again. The agent removed his trademark sunglasses and there was what she could only describe as a hollow look in his eyes.

Ralph trudged down the stairs carrying his duffle bag.

"I'm ready."

"Hey, kid, why don't you, Sly and I have a Proton Arnold match?" Happy asked as she grabbed the bag from him and urged him toward the other side of the garage.

"Cabe, what is it? Is it Walter?"

"Why don't you sit down, Paige?" Toby said as he turned her desk chair around.

"I don't want to sit," she replied as she crossed her arms defensively. Or was it protectively? "The two of you are making me nervous. Why do you both need to talk to me? Has something happened to Walter?"

Cabe shook his head. "No. Walter's fine."

"Toby?" Paige looked at the behaviorist for confirmation.

"The last time I tracked his GPS, he was heading south on the 405."

Relief filled her and she inhaled, then exhaled, a grateful breath. "Then what is this about? Why are you both being so dramatic?"

Cabe's shoulders sagged and he looked ten years older in an instant.

"It's Tim, kiddo," he said softly using his nickname for her. "Something's happened."

Paige's stomach dropped a second time, this time a little harder.

"What happened?"

"I'm sorry, Paige. I really am," Cabe said as he reached for her hand.

Paige swallowed reflexively as she looked down. Cabe didn't usually touch her. "Why are you sorry?" she asked as she looked back up at him.

It seemed like an eternity before Cabe spoke again and Toby moved closer to her.

"Tim's dead."

Paige staggered and reached for the edge of her desk. Toby gripped her hips and she shook him off and stood straight again.

"What do you mean he's dead? He's supposed to be on his flight back from Amman. Did something happen to the plane?"

Cabe stepped closer. In her peripheral vision, she registered Happy speaking quietly to Sly and Ralph as they stared at her wide eyed.

"Happy, what are you telling him?" she asked sharply.

"Paige," Toby said her name in what she called his psychiatrist tone. The one he used to try to talk crazy people down from the edge.

"What happened, Cabe?" Paige asked, her voice sounding as shaky as she felt. "I just talked to him last night before he headed to the Amman airport."

"He never made it," Cabe replied. "They were scouting locations about fifty kilometers outside the city and he headed straight to the airport from there, rather than going back into the city with the group. He, his driver and a civilian contractor were ambushed and taken hostage."

"No," Paige whispered as she swallowed. She stepped closer to the agent and reached for the front lapel of his suit jacket. "No, Cabe. Jordan is supposed to be one of the safest countries in the Middle East. No, Cabe!" she said again, her voice rising, unwilling to believe it could be true.

"It was an ISIS faction that had recently moved into the country. It was one of the reason's Tim's company needed an entire security team. They were government contractors and ISIS does not like the US government."

Paige's fingers flexed around Cabe's lapel. "So he's been taken hostage. That doesn't mean he's dead." Her voice rose again this time with hopeful desperation. "You can go in and extract him, can't you? Cabe you have to go in and get him."

Her plea came out as a sob and she reached up and gripped the front of Cabe's shirt with her other hand.

Cabe covered her hand with his. "There was nothing we could do, honey. They had no intention of keeping them alive and using them as bargaining chips. They were only meant to be examples and a warning to get out of the country."

"What did they do to him?" She swallowed back bile as it came up her throat.

"Honey, it doesn't matter," Cabe said gently

"It does matter!" She almost screeched. "What did they do to him? Damn it! I have a right to know."

"Paige," Toby's calm voice came from beside her. "Don't do this to yourself."

Ralph hurried over to stand beside Paige. "Mom?" he looked up at her worriedly. She looked down at him and the sight of her son's worried eyes nearly broke her. She grasped him to her, needing to hold on to him; otherwise she was sure she would crumble.

She looked back at Cabe again. "Please, Cabe?" she pleaded.

"Mom," Ralph said in a strangled tone. "I can't breathe. You're holding too tight."

Paige barely registered his words but she loosened her grip slightly and the young genius gasped for breath. "Is there any chance, Cabe?"

He closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. "I'm so sorry, kiddo. He was executed. All three were."

"On live television!" Sly gasped from his desk and Paige looked over to find him with his hand over his mouth, looking like he was going to throw up. "Oh my god! He was executed on live television!"

"Sly, damn it. I told you not to hack into that feed," Happy growled as she stomped over to him and shoved his computer screen off his desk.

Paige felt her legs give out and her vision blur. Cabe caught her before she hit the floor and wrapped his arms around her as she continued to cling to Ralph desperately.

"No," she whimpered and lowered her head as gut wrenching sobs overtook her body.

Cabe shushed her quietly as she buried her face in Ralph's hair. She barely registered movement and whispering above and around her and then she felt another pair of arms wrap around her as Cabe moved away and then pried her hands away from Ralph.

She lifted her head gasping as Walter slid into Cabe's place and looked down at her, his face a mask of horror.

"Walter," she cried as she grabbed the front of his shirt and clung to him now. She buried her face in his neck as she sobbed harder.

"He'll never know his child, Walter. He'll never meet his child," she chanted over and over against his neck.

He just held her, not speaking, as she soaked his throat with her tears and snot.

"Mom?" Ralph said desperately as he struggled against the behaviorist's grip. "Let me go, Toby. She needs me."

"It's okay, kid," Cabe said as he took Ralph by the shoulders and hugged the young boy. "Walter's got her now."

Paige felt like she was breaking apart at the seams. She didn't love Tim, not in the way he'd wanted her to or in the way he deserved. She cared about him but she never would have loved him like he wanted. She couldn't. Because her heart was no longer hers to give. It had never been hers to give him because it already belonged to the man who now held her shaking, sobbing, heaving body on the cold concrete floor of the garage.

But losing Tim left a gaping hole inside her.

"I'm going to have to do this alone again," Paige sobbed harder against Walter's throat and she felt selfish for saying it.

Because this wasn't about her. This was about Tim losing his life because he was coming to see her and their child because she wouldn't go to him. But now that child would never know its father. Like Ralph, this child would grow up with only one parent.

"No you won't." Walter, speaking for the first time, murmured softly against her ear. "As long as I'm breathing you will _never_ be alone."

* * *

Thanks again for reading. Reviews make my day so please leave one if you are so inclined.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Scorpion but you already know that. No infringement intended.**

Apologies for taking so long to get this chapter posted. It's been written since new years but I've been indisposed since just after and couldn't do the final edit until this week.

This chapter turned out way too long – just over 25k words so I have to break it into two chapters. The only logical place to break it was NOT where I wanted to break but I have no choice. So forgive me in advance for the cliff hanger – it was never meant to be one. I would again like to reiterate there is a method to my madness – this is not just gratuitous drama. The hardest and darkest part of the story is about to start but I do give you a slight reprieve first that I hope you enjoy.

The second half of this chapter is complete – it just needs a final proof read and spell check so I will have it posted probably tomorrow or Saturday.

The majority of this story is from Paige's POV but the beginning of this chapter is from Walter's because we need to see where he is emotionally. Also I love me some Walter/Happy bonding as well as Paige/Toby. We need to see more of it on the show.

Thanks as always for reading and reviewing. I do truly love hearing your comments both good and bad.

* * *

 **Highway to Hell – Chapter 3**

"Yo, O'Brien, are you decent?"

Walter turned toward the closed door of his loft at the sound of Happy's voice on the other side.

"If you're asking if I am dressed, the answer is yes," he replied as he fastened the last button on his shirt.

"Can I come in?" she asked and Walter looked at the clock.

"I have to leave in a few minutes, Happy. Can it wait?" he replied as he sat on the sofa to put on his shoes.

"No," she said before the door opened and she walked in. He arched a brow at her and she just shrugged. "You said you were dressed."

Happy walked over and sat on the chair across from him. She watched him silently for a minute. Long used to the comfortable silence between them it didn't faze Walter.

Finally she spoke. "Are you taking Paige to her doctor's appointment?"

"You know I am," he said absently as he finished tying his shoe. "I heard Paige tell you last night before she left."

"Hmmm," Happy hummed indifferently.

Walter sat up and eyed Happy across from him. She had that look in her eyes, the one that always made him wish he hadn't engaged her at all, and even though he knew he would probably regret it, he asked the question anyway.

"Is there a purpose for that noise?"

She shrugged. "Just wondering why you're taking her? She does know how to drive." She sat back and lifted her feet onto the coffee table before crossing her ankles as Walter reached over to pet Ferret Bueller who was sleeping on the arm of the sofa.

"If Paige saw you doing that she'd scold you," he said casually hoping to distract her.

"Why are you taking her?" she asked again.

No such luck.

Walter shot her an annoyed look. "Why do you care? And what is the purpose of this interrogation? If I wanted to be interrogated I would seek out Toby."

Ferret Bueller stretched and Walter picked him, bringing the small animal to his lap as he scratched around his ears.

"Believe me, you'll know when I'm interrogating you," she snapped before she schooled her features. "So, how is everything with you and the liaison, anyway?"

Walter blinked at the abrupt change of subject.

"Fine," Walter hesitated and dragged the word out slowly. He suspected where she was going with this and no good could come from it.

She again looked at him for a long time. Walter rarely squirmed under anyone's gaze but Happy had always been able to do it to him. The only other person who could make him squirm was Paige but it was usually for a very different reason.

When the mechanic just looked at him stoically, he pursed his lips. "If there is something specific you want to ask me will you please proceed so I can go about my day."

"Don't be an idiot!" she scowled. "You know what I'm asking you."

"I'm afraid I don't," he replied casually as he stood up and walked toward his desk, carrying Bueller in one hand. "So, how are the wedding plans coming along?" he asked trying to deflect her attention from her line of questioning.

"O'Brien, don't make me bitch slap you."

Walter grabbed his wallet and slipped it into his back pocket with a sigh. "Happy, is there a point of this conversation?"

Again a long silence passed between them so Walter walked around the sofa toward the back exit of the loft.

"Where the hell are you going?"

Walter walked down the ramp to the first floor as Ferret Bueller chattered and wriggled in his hand.

"O'Brien," Happy called after him but he continued to ignore her.

"I told you Happy," he finally replied as he reached the kitchen. "I have to leave or I'm going to be late picking up Paige."

Walter set Ferret Bueller on the counter and opened the fridge.

"You're such a pain in the ass," Happy snapped as she caught up with him.

Walter gave the ferret a small piece of chicken to nibble on and he chattered excitedly before scurrying off the counter, running across the floor and climbing up onto Paige's desk and into the small bed she had for him on the corner.

"Just say what you want to say. You're wasting both our time by not being efficient about this conversation."

"Fine," she slapped her hand on the counter sharply. "You don't want me to mince words, I won't. You've been spending a lot of time with Paige, so I'm curious are you ever going to get off that genius ass of yours and make a move?"

And that right there was what Walter had been dreading.

"Happy, it's hardly the time to be thinking about pursuing Paige. Tim has barely been dead a month."

"So?"

He'd known Happy long enough to have expected that response from her. "And she's four months pregnant."

"Again, so?"

"Happy," he said with an exasperated shake of his head as he turned to face her.

"Oh, please. Don't 'Happy' me. She seemed to get over it pretty quickly. Quicker than a woman who was in love should have….. is all my saying."

Walter pursed his lips because Happy was right. Paige grieved intensely for a few days, while the reality of Tim's death sunk in. Then she appeared numb before slowly getting back to herself. But he could still sense some residual sadness in her from time to time.

And Walter didn't know what would be considered a _normal_ amount of time to grieve. He still wasn't over grieving for Megan although it was easier to think about her now. But it had been almost a year and a half.

And Megan was his sister. Grieving for a family member had to be different than for the man or woman you loved. Just the thought of something happening to Paige made Walter feel like his insides were turning out and he doubted he would ever stop grieving for her.

"Happy, I really don't have time for this." He started toward his desk but she moved in front of him.

"You need to make time."

Walter scowled and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Look, I know everyone thought Tim was such a great guy but I didn't." Walter blinked. That was news to him. It seemed like everyone thought the ex SEAL was great. "Well everyone but you," she continued. "And I got a lot of grief from the Doc because I didn't get all touchy feely and hug him on Christmas Eve like Sly did."

"Huh?" Walter said distracted by the knowledge that Happy didn't like their former team member.

"O'Brien, stay with me here," she snapped. "I'm talking about Tim. I said goodbye and shook his hand but what he did never sat right with me and the Doc can just shove his psychobabble analysis about how I'm unconsciously siding with you. Because it's _very_ conscious on my part."

"I don't understand. What did Tim do to you?"

"Nothing. But I didn't like how he pursued Paige when he knew you were in love with her. She didn't hear you over the comms that day because her panties were in too much of a twist and she was too busy walking away from you." Walter frowned at the memory. "But Tim did. He knew you went to Tahoe to tell her you loved her and he still pursued her. An honorable man would have backed off. But I think he thought there was no way a woman like Paige would ever choose a geek like you so he pounced. And it was _not cool_ in my book."

Walter thought he was the only one who felt like that so he was genuinely surprised by how vehemently Happy spoke. But he should have known because Happy was probably the most loyal of all of the geniuses and she was his oldest friend in the group. Scorpion had started out as the two of them and then he slowly brought in the others. But there was a special bond between he and Happy that neither one of them acknowledged because… well, just because they didn't.

But he was overcome with the urge to hug her, and that was disturbing, in and of itself, because he didn't hug people. They hugged him, against his will usually, but he didn't reciprocate. At least until Paige came into his life. He still didn't actively participate in hugs though unless they came from Paige or Ralph and neither one of them had reached for him in longer than he could remember.

"So, no, I wasn't unhappy to see him go," Happy continued as she grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl. "Obviously I didn't want him to die but now there is no chance of him coming back so you need to get off your ass and do something. Paige clearly wasn't in love with him; otherwise she'd still be inconsolable." She shrugged haphazardly. "At least that's what the Doc says."

Walter scratched the back of his neck uneasily. Happy was making some valid and logical points but he was hesitant to consider anything that could jeopardize the delicate balance of his and Paige's relationship.

"Happy, she's made it clear she doesn't want a relationship with me. We're just getting back on even footing. I don't want to ruin that."

"So you'll just stand by and be the supportive _friend_ and employer and help her raise another man's child?"

Walter cringed at the word friend because part of him feared that was all he'd ever be to her now. "I'm not going to be raising this child with her."

Happy snorted. "Sure you're not."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Walter reached into the fridge for a bottle of water.

"It means Paige raised Ralph on her own until she joined Scorpion. But that kid is as much your son now as he is hers. Blood or not. You chose that woman and her kid to be part of this misfit family and any other kid she has will be part of it too. Even if it kills you every time you see him…. or her. Speaking of, does she know the sex the baby is yet?"

Walter continued to frown. "She's having her ultrasound today."

"I hope she has a girl because she might feel inclined to name a boy after Tim, to honor him that way, and that might actually make me throw up."

Ferret Bueller scurried back into the room and climbed up Walter's leg to get to the counter. The genius gave him another piece of chicken. "I didn't realize you felt so strongly about him."

"Yeah, well, being with the Doc has made me annoyingly sentimental. And it pisses me off because I liked being standoffish and aloof but there's nothing I can do about it. It also pisses me off that you threw Paige at Tim when I warned you to man up and just tell her how you felt. You're the reason she's knocked up by him."

Walter choked on his next sip of water, sputtering and spitting it on Ferret Bueller who squealed and ran off the counter and back to Paige's desk.

"What the hell Happy?"

"What? It is. She never would have been with him if you'd taken her to Tahoe. If you had, she might actually be knocked up with your progeny right now instead."

Walter felt a strange tightening in his chest but refused to contemplate Happy's words any further.

"But I also get why you didn't tell her," She sighed. "She's normal. You don't think like her and you never will. But you love her and sometimes that isn't enough. But sometimes it is."

"I don't know what that means," he said again. Emotions were daunting. Why couldn't they be logical? It would make it a whole lot easier.

"Damn it O'Brien." Walter walked toward his desk and Happy followed. "It means despite how much you would struggle to tell her how you feel you'd find a way because you wouldn't allow yourself to fail at loving her. Yeah, you'd screw up a lot and she'd need infinite patience but that is one thing Paige seems to have in spades." Walter dropped down into the chair as he searched his desk drawer for his keys. "She used to, anyway. She changed when Tim was around but she's back to normal now. The Doc said it was transference. She's a normal surrounded by geniuses, even her own son. She probably feels outnumbered all the time so she latched on to the first normal she found because she needed that familiarity."

"Cabe is normal," Walter pointed out.

"Well be grateful she didn't latch on to him. Can you imagine Cabe and Paige hooking up?" Happy shuddered. "Now that would just be freaking creepy."

Walter felt a surge of jealousy rush through him that was both irrational and disturbing. His watch beeped and he stood up. "I have to go."

"Okay. I said what I wanted to say anyway. Being with the Doc has made me too damn long-winded."

Walter started to open his mouth to agree and she just pointed her finger at him and he shut up instantly.

"Not a word out of you, O'Brien. Just don't be a moron and let her slip away again." Happy turned and started to walk away. But after only a few steps she stopped and turned back around to face him again. "I didn't want her on this team at first, you know. I didn't think we needed her and that she'd never fit in. But I was wrong."

"She binds us," Walter said quietly, repeating the words he said to Mark Collins over two years prior.

"The way she loves that kid, the way she struggles but never gives up when it comes to understanding him; she's the mom I always wanted. And if you ever tell her I said that I will smother you in your sleep."

Walter's lips curved because the threat was just so Happy.

"She makes this team work and she will never give up trying to understand us even when we drive her insane. That kind of loyalty goes a long way in my book." Happy paused and Walter could tell she was debating her next words. Just when he expected her to turn around and go she spoke again. "A person doesn't have to be a genius to see she loves you, too, Walt. But you have to open up and let her in. Normals need that kind of thing."

Walter frowned uncertainly. "I don't know how to do that."

"So let her show you."

##############

"Thanks for coming over this morning, Toby." Paige stood from the table and gathered the plates before turning and setting them on the breakfast bar.

"No problem," the behaviorist replied as he sat back and set his hands on his stomach. "Happy left early muttering something about metal, Cal-Trans, and a blow torch so I was free. And I'm always up for a home cooked breakfast."

"Happy never cooks for you?" Paige asked, although she knew the answer, and Toby snorted in response.

"My beloved can make a bomb out of a toothpick and a stick of gum, take that MacGyver, but she can't make scrambled eggs to save her life."

Paige laughed and it actually felt good. She hadn't laughed in weeks; not since she found out about Tim.

She remembered the moment looking up and seeing Walter's face. She remembered breaking down in his arms and his words in her ear, his voice so full of conviction when he said she would never be alone as long as he was alive, and it made her sob even harder than she already was.

Those first few days after were a blur, the shock of it all was too much, and she shut down. She remembered Walter's arms around her on the garage floor before he awkwardly lifted her and carried her up the ramp to the loft. Paige had known he was stronger than he looked but, once Cabe helped him to stand, the ease with which he carried her had surprised her. She spent the next day and a half, in his bed, under mild sedation administered by Toby.

Since then she had been consumed with guilt. Guilt over Tim's death because he wouldn't have been heading to the airport that day if he wasn't coming home to see her. Guilt because, now, her child would never know its biological father. Guilt because she knew how much she'd hurt Walter and how much it continued to hurt him, everyday, to see her carrying Tim's child.

She'd been drowning under the guilt for weeks, maybe even months. She finally pulled Toby aside a week ago, asking him if he could recommend someone she could talk to before she crumbled beneath it. He suggested Dr. Rizutto; after all he had helped Toby and Walter. But after her first visit she realized he was not the right one for her issues. And she wondered how he'd even been able to help the two geniuses.

But when Toby offered to be her shrink, Paige's initial reaction had been to refuse, primarily because he was too close to the situation. But in the end that was also the reason she took him up on it.

In just a few days of talking to him she felt exponentially better, even though she knew she'd carry guilt for the rest of her life. But Toby was helping her accept it and channel it into preparing for the birth of her second child.

"I really can't thank you enough for this, Toby," she said sincerely as she grabbed the pancake syrup and walked to the fridge. "Just saying most of this out loud is unbelievably cathartic and I feel like I can finally breathe again."

Toby walked over and leaned on the counter with a self-satisfied grin. "That's usually what happens."

Paige turned to look at him with a smirk. "Is it hard to walk around with that incredible ego all the time?"

"Nope," he replied with a pop of his lips. "Someone has to try to offset Walt's ego sometimes."

"Toby, be nice," she warned gently. She knew he was kidding but at the same time not. He shrugged unrepentantly and grabbed a strawberry from the bowl on the counter and tossed it into his mouth.

She bit her bottom lip, silently, not sure if she should ask, but knowing he'd see right through her in a minute and press her anyway. He looked at her expectantly.

"Do you ever wish you could go back and do everything all over again?"

"Nope." He said with another exaggerated pop of his lips and it made her laugh again.

"There's _nothing_ you'd do different if you had the chance?"

"Well sure there is," he conceded immediately. "But I wouldn't want to do _everything_ over again. Even some of the bad turned into good eventually. I mean, if I hadn't gotten into troubling gambling I might not have been running from those thugs that night and I probably never would have met Walt. Then I probably never would have met Happy. And that's inconceivable to me."

"That makes sense, I guess." Her brow furrowed as she pondered his answer. "But does that mean you're saying someone has to endure a lot of bad on the off chance they might experience something good."

"Not exactly," he replied as he grabbed another strawberry from the bowl and tossed it into his mouth. "But life is messy. And it's the bad that usually makes us stronger and more grateful of the good. And I'm sure that sounded like a poorly worded Hallmark card but I think you get my point." He paused briefly before he asked, "So what would you want to do over, Miss Dineen?"

Paige breathed through her nose debating whether she should answer truthfully or make a joke he would absolutely see right through.

"Come on, it can't be that bad."

Paige leaned back against the edge of the counter and put her hands on her stomach. Her pregnancy was becoming more noticeable every day and she'd finally had to resort to maternity pants. She'd forgotten how much she despised maternity pants.

"If I say I wish I'd never gotten involved with Tim then it's like I'm saying I don't want this baby."

"No it's not," Toby disagreed as he stood up straight.

"But if Tim and I hadn't dated I wouldn't be pregnant," Paige insisted as she unconsciously wrung her fingers together.

"That's not true," he replied as he reached out and put one hand over hers to still her movements.

"This wasn't an immaculate conception, Toby," she replied drolly as she pulled her hands away and pushed off the counter.

Toby shuddered. "Now you're just putting images I don't need in my head, thank you very much."

Paige slapped his arm. "Don't be a jerk."

"Oh, like thinking about me and Happy getting freaky doesn't squick you out," he challenged with an exaggerated arch of his eyebrow.

Now it was Paige's turn to shudder so she grabbed the dishes she'd set on the counter and put them into the sink. "Okay, let's not go there."

"Hey, I'll have you know my woman and I are very sexy together."

"Toby, please, I'm trying to be serious." Paige opened the dishwasher and started to load it because she needed something to distract her as she made her latest confession to the shrink. She swallowed reflexively before she spoke again. "I don't know how to reconcile wishing I hadn't gotten involved with Tim with how much I want and love this baby already so much. What kind of person thinks like that?"

"One that's struggling with guilt and grief and relief at the same time."

She turned to look at him exasperated. "What does that even mean?"

Toby gave her that indulgent doctor look he gave people when he was about to analyze them. She hated that look but it was effective and she was desperate for his insight.

"It means you feel responsible for Tim's death even though you logically know it had nothing to do with you. Ah, ah, ah," he said, holding up his hand as she started to open her mouth. "Let me finish. Tim chose to come back here. You didn't ask him to. In fact you told him to stay in Jordan, did you not?"

"Yes, but-"

"No buts," he interrupted her again. "He chose to come back and he chose to head to the airport from the scout site rather than traveling into the city within the safety of the larger group."

Paige pressed her lips together as Toby reminded her of the events that led up to Tim's death. Her voice wobbled as she replied. "But he wouldn't have even been there if he hadn't fought with Walter over me."

"Paige, you're an intelligent woman so don't be an idiot."

Paige narrowed her eyes at him. "Do all psychiatrists talk to their patients like you do?"

"Hell no," he scoffed. "But none of them are as smart or as effective as me. Tim's death is not your fault. It's not Walter's fault. It's not even Tim's fault. It was a matter of circumstance that was out of everyone's control. So you have no reason to feel guilty about that." Paige digested his words but before she could respond he spoke again. "Now if you feel guilty about something else, like getting knocked up by him when you were in love with Walter, then that's a different thing entirely. We can certainly delve into that but you still shouldn't feel guilty about it either."

Paige didn't contradict Toby but she didn't admit he was right either. She remained silent because admitting that what he said was true would be opening a Pandora's box Paige didn't think she was emotionally ready to handle.

Toby took her lack of response as an opportunity to continue. "You're feeling grief because of Tim's death, which is normal, but it's not the kind of grief one should feel at the loss of a lover. So that makes you feel guiltier."

"So what's the relief?" she asked almost afraid of the answer because she thought it would confirm her fear that she was the heartless bitch she was beginning to suspect she was.

Toby walked back to the table and grabbed his coat from the back of the chair. "Relief that you don't have to deal with the inevitable conflict that would arise, and the tug of war that would ensue, if Tim was here. You would have eventually had to choose between Scorpion, aka Walter, and your life with Tim and your child and deep down you know it. And you're feeling relieved you won't have to."

Paige dropped her face in her hands. "What kind of selfish monster am I?"

Toby walked back to her and touched her shoulder gently. "Come on, sit down," he said as he led her to the sofa before he sat on the coffee table across from her. "You're not a monster, Paige. You're just human and you need to let yourself be human."

"I miss him, Toby. And I'm devastated he won't meet this child. But at the same time, I wish….' She paused as she rubbed her hands roughly over her face. "All I can see is Walter's face the day you all found out. And my main concern should be my child, and it is, but it felt like I watched something break inside him that day."

"Yeah, well, Walt's world was rocked that day but so was yours."

"I know it hurts him to…. see me like this." Paige waived toward her stomach. "But he's never said anything. I tried to get him to talk a couple of times but he always sidesteps."

Toby rolled his eyes. "You know 197. It's hard enough for him to admit his feelings to himself, never mind anyone else."

"It used to be easier to get him to open up to me but he's so guarded now."

"He's like a wounded dog. Relearning to trust the person who kicked you when you were down takes time."

Toby's words hurt but she knew they were true. "I was sure when he took off and stayed away for three days that he'd never forgive me."

"I don't think there is anything you could do he wouldn't forgive you for, Paige. Walter may not know how to express it but that doesn't change the fact that he loves you. Once he acknowledged and accepted that what he feels for you is love it became a permanent part of him."

"I don't understand then, Toby. Why?" she implored confused and slightly angry. "Why when I was trying to jog his memory about space did you tell me to let it alone so he could get over me."

"That wasn't exactly my finest moment," he admitted ruefully. "I didn't do right by either of you there for a while and I'm sorry about that. But I was trying to give you an out."

"What out?"

"And out to be with Tim without feeling conflicted." Conflicted was the story of her life these days. "And I didn't want to see Walter get hurt."

"Why do you think I would hurt him?"

"You wouldn't have deliberately. But it would have been inevitable. You were with Tim. Walt didn't know you knew how he felt. And if he remembered and you still chose to be with Tim it would have crushed him."

Paige surged to her feet, suddenly furious. "You don't know I would have chosen to be with Tim. _I_ don't know, to be honest, if I would have chosen to be with him. We were still pretty casual at that point and we could have cut our losses without anyone getting hurt."

Toby got to his feet and shrugged into his jacket. "Maybe. But being with Walter scared you so you did what any normal person would do, you ran for cover and it just happened to be under Tim."

Toby glanced down at her abdomen and she glared at his insinuation because she didn't sleep with Tim until months later. But that was none of his damn business. But just as suddenly as her anger flared, it drained out of her. "Walter breaking my heart again scared me. It still does."

"Yeah, that too," Toby agreed as he rocked back on his heels. "That's why you were with Tim in the first place."

"But that wasn't your choice to make, Toby," she insisted. "You have no right to play God in other people's lives."

"I'm a genius. We all have God complexes to some degree. Walt doesn't have a monopoly on that. And when Walter told you he loved you while he was suffering from hypoxia it was the absolute truth. A person can't lie while in that condition, Paige. But that doesn't mean he was ready to deal with the aftermath of that confession. I was trying to protect both of you. So was Cabe. But in hindsight, the two of us telling him not to pursue you was probably a mistake."

Paige reached out and grabbed his forearm. "What do you mean the two of you? What did Cabe do?"

Toby looked down at where her fingers were gripping his arm before he looked back at her face. "Oh, you didn't know about that, huh?"

"Toby," Paige warned quietly. "What did Cabe say to Walter?"

The behaviorist sighed as he extricated his arm from her grip. "He told Walter he was being selfish for trying to tell you how he felt. That he wasn't ready to be the kind of man you needed. So Walter stepped back."

"Damn it, Toby!" she snapped. "Why do all of you have to meddle in other people's business?"

"We can't help it?" he posed his answer as a question and Paige rubbed her temples. She was getting a headache and it was only nine in the morning.

"Is that why he always seems to walk on eggshells around me now? Because you told him he wasn't good enough?"

"That's part of it I'm sure. But in my defense I didn't tell him he wasn't good enough, I just told him he should do right by you and step away and let you try to be happy. Your happiness is the most important thing to him."

Toby looked guilty and remorseful but it didn't sway Paige's aggravation. "I want to strangle you right now."

"I don't think my fiancé will take kindly to you killing me."

"She might understand when I tell her what you did."

"She knows and she gave me hell for it. But she's real protective of Walter. I wonder if that's because she was married to him," Toby mused as he scrunched up his face.

Paige snapped her fingers. "Toby, focus."

"Huh?" He shook his head. "Oh yeah, what was I saying?"

Paige growled softly under her breath. "Happy is protective of Walter," she prompted.

"That's right," Toby replied after gathering his thoughts. "She is. I know part of it is because her IQ is the closest to his. They think alike more than they think like the rest of us. On the surface it may seem like Sly's IQ is the closest to Walt's but he's only high 180's. Hap is low 190's although she won't tell me her exact number. But that's why they both seem so robotic. Anything over 190, that's robot territory. Except Ralph but that's because of your influence on him."

He was going off topic again and Paige reached out to pinch him. It was what she did sometimes when one of the geniuses went too far inside their own head when they were trying to explain something. It worked most of the time.

"Ow!" Toby flinched away and rubbed his arm. "Anyway, Walt feels he isn't good enough for you. He's afraid of hurting you again. And disappointing you like he often does. But the biggest thing 197 is terrified of is losing you completely. Before you the man didn't fear anything."

Paige sighed tiredly. "Walter had enough baggage, Toby. He didn't need you and Cabe to pile more on him."

"I know," Toby shrugged helplessly. "Like I said, not our finest moment. But if anyone can help him throw it off, it's you. That is if you even still want to; if you even still feel that way."

The behaviorist's transparency was so obvious sometimes and she wasn't going to fall into his trap.

"It doesn't matter how I feel about him Toby. If he doesn't want to be with me or doesn't feel worthy of me, I can't make him. My entire life is going to change again in a few months and I don't have the energy to fight for him only to be rejected again."

"You don't have to fight for him. All it took was for him to accept his love for you as fact. He will never waver again."

Toby's words both thrilled and terrified her. "Why are you telling me this now? Now when I have so much else to deal with."

Toby shoved like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Because from everything you've told me, even though you haven't said it directly or out loud, really, you still love Walter. You've always loved Walter. And you want to be with him even though it scares you. I think it's time both of you stop pussyfooting around. To some it may seem cold and heartless for you to move on so quickly after Tim but those are people who assume you loved _him_."

"I-"

Toby shook his head knowingly. "Don't tell me you loved him. I know you cared about him, Paige. Like you do me and Sly, like you'd love a brother."

"Toby, I slept with him," Paige replied with an arch of her brow.

Toby made a face. "See now you just had to go and make it creepy. So maybe it was a little bit different than how you love me and Sly," he conceded. "But you can't lie to me, Paige. There was no heat between you. It doesn't take a genius behaviorist to see that. There was never any chemistry or sexual tension. Not like you've had with Walter since the moment he saw you in the slinky black dress during that stolen art case two years ago."

Paige could still remember how Walter looked at her that night. The way he held her as they danced, even as nervous and stiff as he was. Just thinking about it sent a shiver down her spine. Dancing with Tim never did that to her.

"You don't owe anybody anything, Paige. Except yourself. Look, I'm not going to lie to you. Walter won't be easy. Nothing about him will ever be easy. Because he's a genius. You can't love a genius and expect normalcy. It just won't happen."

Paige knew this and, in truth, it didn't bother her. She didn't need normal, she knew that now. But she did need a man who wouldn't change his mind when things got difficult. She'd been abandoned too many times.

"Walter will drive you bonkers. You'll have to guide him because he won't instinctively know what you need from him. His brain just doesn't work like that. He'll disappoint you and he'll frustrate you. But he will love you until he takes his last breath. He won't always know how to show you or tell you but he _will not_ _waver,_ " Toby reiterated again with fervor. "Trust me; take it from someone who knows. I can say this to you with absolute certainty because I know what it's like to love and be loved by a genius. It's not easy, at all, and sometimes it will break your heart into a million pieces. But it's worth _everything._ "

With those final words, Toby turned and grabbed his hat off the table. "And on that note, I should be off. 197 just pulled up."

Paige looked over her shoulder and saw Walter walking up to her building through the dining room window.

"God, I didn't realize how late it was. Will you let him in?" Paige turned to hurry down the hall but she stopped and then threw her arms around Toby, hugging him fiercely. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

"For lecturing you?" he joked as he awkwardly hugged her back. "Sure, anytime. You know I live for it."

She laughed and pulled back before patting him on the cheek. "But you do it so well." Then she turned and dashed down the hall to finish getting ready. "I'm still mad at you though."

"And I'll pay for it I'm sure," she heard him mutter before he called after her. "Do you want me to sneak out the back so he doesn't know I was here?"

"Don't be ridiculous Toby," she called from her bedroom as she brushed her hair in front of the mirror.

"I thought he didn't know we were talking."

"I haven't told him but it isn't a secret either. Don't make this a big deal and he won't."

Toby snorted. "Sure he won't."

She heard Walter knock and then his and Toby's muted voices before the front door opened and closed again just as she was coming down the hall.

"Hey, sorry, I lost track of time," she apologized as she grabbed her coat from the closet.

"That's okay."

His brow was furrowed and she had the urge to smooth it with her fingertips. An urge she knew she shouldn't have but it was getting harder to fight her recently resurfaced feelings for him. He was being exceptionally solicitous and supportive and while it felt like he was sometimes overcompensating for the tension that had been there, between them, for so many months, it also felt more genuine than any behavior out of him since she'd know him.

It was confusing and even though her talk with Toby had shed some light on a few things, particularly why Walter had never consciously told her how he felt, their interactions still often felt forced and awkward. And as much as it terrified her that he could read her so well, he was right. She never stopped loving the awkward genius in front of her.

She wondered what Toby had said to him but when he didn't inquire as to why the behaviorist was there, Paige decided to let it go.

"We should go or we'll be late," Walter finally said as he opened the door again.

Paige nodded and grabbed her purse and they headed out the door.

##############

Paige could feel how tense Walter was beside her. His leg was shaking and he was drumming his fingers on the arms of the chair so hard Paige was sure the entire waiting room could hear it. He brought his tablet, intending to do some work while she was in with the doctor, but it was resting on the table beside him, on top of a letter size anatomically correct diagram of a woman's pelvis when it spreads during childbirth.

She could have sworn she heard him choke audibly when he first noticed it and his face lost all its color before he slammed his tablet down on top of it. Paige couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped at the overly dramatic reaction by the normally stoic genius.

Several women in the waiting room were eyeing him, probably because of how anxious he looked so Paige reached over and placed her hand on his arm.

"You don't have to wait here with me," she said softly as she leaned toward him. "You can go sit in the courtyard outside and I'll come get you when I'm done."

His eyes whipped to hers as he shook his head. "No, I'll wait until you go into the room."

"Walter, it's alright," she assured. "Clearly you're uncomfortable and I can handle this on my own. I did it before. Drew never came with me to my appointments when I was pregnant with Ralph."

Walter clenched his teeth. "No! I'm not Drew and I'm not going to leave you when I promised I wouldn't."

Paige held his gaze at his undoubtedly loaded statement and a feeling of déjà vu overcame her as she remembered Tim's fervent words over Skype. She pulled her hand away at his abrupt tone. It made her wonder if he was only there with her out of the obligation of keeping his word. Walter took that very seriously. But then she remembered her conversation earlier with Toby and she was once again torn and confused and afraid to hope.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

She looked back down at the magazine in her lap. "It's okay," she also muttered. "But you don't have to do me any favors. You don't owe me anything."

Paige could feel several pairs of eyes on her, now, from the women close enough to have heard her and Walter's exchange, and she suddenly wished she'd come alone.

It surprised her when a moment later she felt Walter's fingers touch her hand. His touch was hesitant but he wrapped his fingers around hers.

"I'm here because I want to be, okay." He leaned a little closer to her. "I just wish they would all stop looking at me."

Before she could reply the nurse opened the door at the far right of the room and called Paige's name. She slipped her fingers out from beneath Walter's and then set her magazine aside.

"I'll meet you downstairs in the courtyard when I'm done."

Walter stood up when she did and he almost looked a little lost. "O-okay."

After Paige stepped through the door, she glanced back through as it was closing. He was still standing in the same spot as several of the women glanced back and forth between them.

But he didn't seem to notice the looks because all his attention was focused on her.

###########

The car came to a stop outside the garage and Paige released the seatbelt.

"Thank you again for coming with me."

"Of course," Walter replied as he shut off the engine but he didn't make a move to exit the car. He'd been quiet since they left for her appointment. He'd never asked about Toby. And he'd never asked about her appointment other than to ask if she was ready to go.

She felt his eyes drift toward her numerous times but he remained quiet throughout the twenty minute drive from the doctor's office.

The tension was back in full force between them and like she'd told Toby earlier she didn't have the energy to fight with him. She wasn't sure if it was because he found Toby at her condo earlier or if it was because being at the doctor with her once again pounded home the reality that she was pregnant.

She waited for him to say something else but when he didn't she sighed softly and opened the car door. She could have sworn she heard the word "moron" as she closed it and headed into the garage.

"Oh, hey," Sly greeted as she walked in with Walter a few steps behind. "How did your appointment go?"

"Yeah, everything okay with baby Dineen?" Toby asked as he walked out of the kitchen followed by Cabe and Happy.

"Everything is fine." She pasted a fake smile on her face as she sat at her desk. "Healthy as a horse."

Walter walked silently to his desk and booted up his computer.

"Did you find out if it's a boy or girl?" Cabe asked as he approached her desk.

Paige's eyes slid to Walter when she saw him stiffen out of the corner of her eye.

"Yes." She looked up at Cabe beside her and her lips curved genuinely. "She's a girl."

"Well done, Miss Dineen!"

"Congratulations, Paige."

"That's great news, kiddo!"

"It will be good to have more estrogen around this testosterone shed."

Toby, Sly, Cabe and Happy all spoke in unison. But not one sound came out of Walter.

Paige's eyes suddenly and without warning filled. She was having a girl. And Walter had absolutely nothing to say about it.

"Excuse me," she choked as she stood up and rushed toward the bathroom.

As the door slammed behind her the echo of Sly's words followed her.

"Uh, what just happened?"

#################

Paige hid in the bathroom until Happy pounded on the door.

"Dineen, if you don't get out of there I'm going to pee on your desk."

It wasn't the most mature way for the mechanic to coax her out but, then again, a thirty year old woman hiding in the bathroom wasn't exactly the definition of mature either.

"Ewww, that's gross, Happy."

"Drastic times call for drastic measures, kid," Happy replied and Paige shot to her feet as her son's voice registered.

He wasn't supposed to be there. He didn't get out of school until three. She couldn't have been in the bathroom that long.

"Mom, are you okay?" Ralph asked through the door just as another loud bang shook the wood.

"Dineen, don't test me on this."

Paige checked her face in the mirror. She'd long since stopped crying and thankfully her face wasn't red and puffy. She didn't want Ralph to see her like that.

She pulled the door open to find Happy and Ralph standing there. One genius had a look of annoyance and the other concern.

"There are two other bathrooms in this garage, Happy," she said as she stepped around the shorter woman.

"I'm not going up to the loft to take a piss. Walt gets weird about that. The only people he doesn't mind using his bathroom are you and Ralph. And besides, you've been in there for over four hours."

Happy slammed the door without another word and Paige just shook her head and then smiled down at her son. She was so happy to see him she felt her eyes welling up again.

Damn hormones.

"I'm sorry I didn't pick you up, sweetie," she said as she led him toward her desk.

"That's okay," he replied. "Walter picked me up. He said you weren't feeling well."

Paige looked toward Walter's desk to find him looking at her, worry etched on his face. She felt her chest tightening and she knew she had to get out of there.

"I'm feeling better now," she assured her son as she brushed her fingers through his hair. "But how about we head home a little early, huh? I'll make spaghetti and meatballs."

His eyes lit up and Paige sighed in relief that she wasn't going to have to fight him to leave the garage like most days. Then again spaghetti and meatballs were his favorite meal and she knew how to get her son to do her bidding.

"Okay," he replied excitedly. "I just have to get my physics book from the loft. I have a paper due on Monday."

He rushed off and Paige gathered her purse and keys from where she'd left them hours earlier.

"You wanna talk?" Toby said quietly as he stepped up beside her.

"No," she replied quickly. "I just want to go home and spend the weekend with my son."

Toby nodded and retreated and Paige breathed another sigh of relief which was short lived.

"Happy and Toby picked up your car earlier but I can give you and Ralph a ride home if you're still not feeling well." Paige inhaled sharply as Walter's voice came from the other side of her. He sounded as concerned as his eyes had looked.

"I'm fine. We'll be fine," she replied, relief flooding her that her car was there. She'd forgotten that Walter picked her up earlier.

"Paige?" he said her name quietly.

"Walter, please don't," she pleaded just as Ralph bounded back down the stairs.

"Ready," he said as he headed toward the door. "Bye Walter," he called over his shoulder and Walter replied without taking his eyes off Paige.

"Bye, buddy."

"I'll see you Monday," Paige said before she bolted for the door.

#################

By Sunday night Paige was feeling better. She realized half way through her and Ralph's spaghetti and meatball dinner that she'd completely overreacted. She'd just been so overwhelmed after her appointment. She wanted to talk to someone about it. In truth she wanted to talk to Walter. He was always the one she wanted to talk to about significant things. And they'd been getting along again. Before she knew she was pregnant. Before he knew she was pregnant. Then everything went to hell.

Since Tim's death they'd been slowly mending their relationship. He'd been incredibly supportive, almost to the point of smothering her at times, but he still ran hot and cold. She now understood why he'd pulled away from her, initially, and she was so angry at Toby and Cabe she wanted to spit.

Things might be so different for her right now, for both of them, if she'd known back then what happened. And she couldn't dwell on "what ifs" but it didn't stop her from wondering _if_ , perhaps, maybe she and Walter might just be able to find their way back to each other.

She and Ralph enjoyed a quiet weekend together and it was just what she needed to rejuvenate. She told him she was having a girl and he responded that he found the news satisfactory because he preferred to have a half sister than brother.

Paige suspected he didn't want what could be viewed as competition with another boy for the attention of the geniuses. She assured him that he was going to be an amazing big brother and she almost burst into tears when he said he wanted to be the kind of brother Walter had been to Megan.

They went to the Science Museum on Saturday and spent Sunday curled up on the sofa watching movies and eating left over pizza until Ralph went to bed a short time ago. It was a perfect weekend with the most important person in her world. But it still felt like something, or someone rather, was missing.

Now Paige was again curled up on the sofa, in her favorite flannel pajamas, watching reruns of Wings when there was a knock on the door. She grabbed her cell phone from the coffee table and checked the time. It was just after ten o'clock.

A brief frisson of concern ran through her over who could be knocking at her door at that time of night. She stood and dialed Walter's number as she approached the door. His phone started to ring as she looked through the peephole to see him standing in her hallway, pulling his phone out of pocket.

"Paige?" he said her name into her ear as she opened the door.

"Walter, what are you doing here?" she asked as she disconnected the call.

"Why were you calling me? Are you alright? Is Ralph?" he asked as concern clouded his features and her chest flooded with affection for him because his primary thought was, always, to make sure she and her son were alright.

"We're fine, Walter," Paige smiled softly.

"Why were you calling me then?"

He seemed genuinely confused that she would be calling him.

She shrugged half-heartedly. "Because someone was knocking on my door at ten at night and my first instinct, I guess, was to call you."

Walter's lips curved and he looked more pleased than she'd seen him in a long time. His eyes dropped to her abdomen for a second and then lifted slowly. He wasn't looking at her in any kind of intense or inappropriate way, just like he was perusing her to make sure she was indeed alright. But it still made her skin tingle.

"It's late, Walter."

He reached up and scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Uh, yeah, I know. I, um…. You left the garage so abruptly on Friday. I was…. I was, uh, worried and I-I thought about calling but I was in the neighborhood and-"

Paige took pity on him and reached out, wrapping her fingers around his wrist and pulling him into the condo before shutting the door. There was no reason he would just be in her neighborhood. The only reason he would be there was if he was coming to see her.

"Walter, it's okay. I don't mind that you're here but it is awfully late for a social visit."

Paige walked deeper into the living room and reached for the remote on the table and paused the TV. She could feel his eyes following her and she thought briefly she should get her robe. But it wouldn't be the first time Walter had seen her in her pajamas. And it's not like they were anything revealing or sexy.

"I didn't wake you, did I?" he asked and Paige turned to see he was still standing near the door.

"No. Insomnia is unfortunately an affliction I suffer from when I'm pregnant."

Walter looked toward the hallway. "Is Ralph asleep?"

"Yeah, he went to bed a little while ago."

Disappointment flashed briefly in his eyes and she again felt a flood of affection for him because he genuinely desired her son's company as much as, if not more than, hers. Some women might be jealous of something like that. But she wasn't. Walter understood Ralph better than anyone and it was his influence that had finally made it so she could connect with and understand her son.

How could she have let herself forgot his absolute importance in both their lives?

"Walter, you don't have to stay near the door. Come over and sit," she encouraged as he looked back at her. "Do you want a cup of tea?"

He shook his head but did as she instructed. He shrugged out of his light jacket and tossed it over the arm of the chair.

Paige sat down and tucked one foot beneath her as he settled at the other end of the sofa. There couldn't have been more distance between them while on the same piece of furniture.

Walter rubbed his hands on his thighs anxiously and Paige just watched him. Her curiosity was peaked because of his surprise visit but she could see he was anxious and edgy and she wondered what might have happened since she last saw him on Friday afternoon.

"Walter, I don't bite," she said lightly, trying to put him at ease but it did the opposite as he visibly tensed and then sighed heavily.

"I don't know what I was thinking coming here like this. I-I should go."

He stood and Paige leaned forward, quickly, to grab his hand. "Walter, stop. You came all the way out here and we both know you weren't just in the neighborhood. If you just wanted to make sure I was okay you could have called."

He met her eyes and he looked like a deer in the headlights.

"We can't keep doing this," Paige said gently and tugged so he would sit down again, this time in the center of the sofa. Her knee pressed against the outside of his thigh and she released his hand and rested hers in her lap. Her weekend with Ralph had cleared her head and made her realize she couldn't hide from the tension between her and Walter any longer.

"Aren't you exhausted fighting what's happening between us? I know I am. And I can't do this anymore, Walter. So why don't you just tell me why you really came over at ten o'clock at night."

"I don't know what I'm doing," Walter admitted as he closed his eyes. "Listening to Happy which is probably a mistake of epic proportions. It's almost as bad as listening to Toby."

Paige's brow furrowed. "I'm afraid I lost you."

Walter sighed as he shifted uneasily, looking at the coffee table rather than at her. "I know I upset you on Friday. I-I know you were disappointed that I didn't ask about your appointment or the baby's gender. I wanted to but I didn't know if I had the right." He paused and inhaled a deep breath before he continued. "And I know I'm the one who constantly backtracks and puts distance between us just when it feels like we're finally getting somewhere but I-I don't mean to."

Paige leaned back against the arm of the sofa. Those were probably the most honest words he'd spoken to her in a long time.

Now it was her turn to be honest.

"I was a little disappointed you didn't ask, yes," she admitted as she picked at the seam on the leg of her pajamas. "But I also overreacted. My hormones are making me a train wreck lately and everything is a lot more magnified than usual." Paige brought her other leg up so she could sit cross legged. "I wanted to share it with you but I never know what I should share about the baby. I don't know how much you want to know and how much is too much."

Walter shifted away slightly to give her more room and turned his body so he could face her. "There's nothing that's too much," he said simply. "I know I frustrate you and you stopped sharing things with me but… but," Walter inhaled another deep breath, which Paige knew was his way of gathering his courage to continue, before his eyes slid to the right and focused on something behind her.

Paige suspected it was the framed photograph on the wall next to the hallway. It was a photo of her holding a diaper clad Ralph's hands as she helped him to walk across the floor in the small apartment they lived from the time they arrived in Los Angeles until he was three. Despite the painful memories of that apartment including Drew's abandonment and their eviction, it was one of her favorite photos of them. And she knew it was one of Walter's as well, even though he'd never told her. because he always found his eyes drawn to it when he was here.

"Y-you're the most important person in my life," he finally said. "And I miss you."

The last few words Walter spoke were almost whispered.

"Walter, look at me." Paige lifted her hand and turned his face back to her and her voice broke as she replied. "I miss you too."

Walter's eyes fluttered and he sighed softly before he asked abruptly. "Why did you pick Tim?"

His eyes flew open and Paige could tell from the look on his face that he was as surprised as she was at the question.

"Walter," Paige swallowed as she dropped her hand to her lap again. "Tim is dead and there's nothing either of us can do to change the past so why do you want to dredge this up?"

Obviously not satisfied with her answer Walter stood up and walked around the coffee table before looking back at her. "You knew how I felt and you still picked him."

Paige dropped her feet to the floor as her stomach did the same. He knew about what happened in space.

"How do you know?"

He gave her a long look before he replied. "I remembered in increments. Bits and pieces came back to me over the course of a few weeks." He admitted and shoved his hands in his pockets. "At first I just thought they were memories of hypoxia induced hallucinations but certain things just didn't add up." Walter pursed his lips and frowned. "Your voice went from sounding far off and faint to very close, like you were right there with me. I asked Toby for confirmation that you were. I found his response….unsatisfactory and I suspected there was more to it than he was telling me so I hacked into Richard Elia's footage. I sure as hell gave everyone a good laugh, didn't I?"

Paige pushed to her feet. "There was nothing funny about you being stuck up there, Walter. Everyone was terrified we weren't going to get you out in time. _I_ was terrified."

The betrayal he was feeling was oozing out of him. "So, you just said anything you had to say to get me to pull that stupid lever? Using my feelings for you as means to an end?"

Paige's back straightened defensively. "I would have said anything to get you home safe. I won't apologize for that, Walter, but I am sorry…." Her entire demeanor softened with remorse. "I am so sorry if I hurt you."

"That didn't hurt me." He looked at the ground. "It was a dream come true, even though it was a lie."

"I didn't lie to you," Paige walked around the coffee table to stand in front of him. "But it's a lot more complicated, Walter, and you know it."

"Yes," he scoffed. "You were already dating Tim and my feelings for you were inconvenient and a complication."

"That's not how it was. I didn't think you remembered and-" Paige started to say that Toby warned her away but that wasn't going to help anything and it would just get the behaviorist into trouble.

"And?" Walter prompted her to continue.

"Nothing. It's not important." Paige rubbed her temples tiredly as her head fell forward and she closed her eyes.

"It's important to me," he leaned down so he could look in her face. "You flaunted him in front of me knowing how I felt. I don't understand why you would do that."

Paige knew she owed him the truth. It was time to stop hiding from this. From her part in it. And from his.

"I was hurt and scared, okay." Paige looked up at him. His eyes were begging for an explanation he could understand and her chest tightened. "It was selfish and cruel of me and I'm sorry I hurt you. I think part of me wanted you to fight for me."

Walter blinked before he shoved his hands through his hair roughly. "But you told me to stay out of your personal life. You made it crystal clear that we were not going to discuss anything about Tahoe or why I followed you there until _you_ decided we would. Then you decided we wouldn't. I was trying to honor your wishes and I promised I wouldn't interfere again."

"And that movie night was not a means to interfere?" she challenged. "I saw you and my mother conspiring Walter. I may not be a genius but I'm not blind."

"Your mother can be very….. persuasive and I was desperate," he conceded reluctantly as he dropped his arms to his sides. "But I finally told her I wouldn't manipulate you. I knew it would hurt you and make you angry and you were already so angry at me all the time."

"I was," she admitted honestly. "I was just angry in general and I directed it at you. And that wasn't fair to you." Paige reached for his hand and led him back to the sofa. Once they sat she kept his hand between both of hers. "I was angry at you because you pushed me away over and over again. I was angry at myself because I kept harboring hope that you'd realize that we were worth the risk. _That I was worth the risk._ And I was scared," she admitted again. "Scared that you didn't mean it and scared that you'd break my heart again if I let you back in. I trust you with my life, Walter. Implicitly. I trust you with my son's life the same way. But I'm afraid to trust you with my heart."

Walter looked down to their joined hands as she traced the tips of his fingers with her own. He rested his hand on top of hers and she found it ironic that he had to stop her from fidgeting when it was usually the other way around.

Walter's voice was gentle when he spoke. "I know I've failed spectacularly at showing you and telling you how I feel about you. I don't blame you for not trusting me."

"I want to," Paige replied and she wondered if she sounded as desperate as she felt. She wanted to trust him so much but her instinct for self preservation was too strong. "And I failed you too, Walter. We're both to blame for the breakdown of our relationship even though I tried to blame it all on you. I pulled away and stopped supporting you and helping you because it was the only way I could let you go and give a relationship with Tim a genuine shot."

"Did you love him?" Walter asked through a mumble. "I… I know I don't have a right to ask but-"

"You're right, you don't," Paige turned sideways to face him as she met his gaze again. "But you deserve honesty." She paused as she gathered her thoughts. How she phrased her next few sentences, she suspected, could make or break any chance of them ever being together. "I cared about Tim very much. And yes, in a way, I did love him. He was good to me and good to Ralph. And he wanted me when it felt like you didn't."

"But you _knew_ I love you."

Paige inhaled a quick breath at his words. It was the first time he'd said it to her since that day, if you didn't count the day he said she was the love of his life. That moment still felt like a dream or nightmare depending on how your viewed the events at the time.

She swallowed back the lump in her throat as his words seeped into her. All her walls were crumbling and it felt like her world was spinning out of control.

"I didn't know if you really meant it or if the lack of oxygen was making you so loopy you were saying things you didn't mean."

"A person can't lie when they're suffering from hypoxia."

"I didn't know that at the time. Not until Toby told me. You had always insisted love wasn't real and you kept pushing me away. Every time my heart started to hope, again, that you might feel the same and want to be with me, you would break it again."

"I didn't know I was breaking your heart," he said, his regret evident in his eyes.

"I know you didn't," she replied gently. "And I would keep telling myself that you didn't, so how could I blame you, but the more it happened the more resentful I became. And by the time you said it I was invested in my relationship with Tim. He was safe and being with him didn't scare me. I should have realized what that meant, and maybe I did, but I ignored it. I clung to my relationship with him because I needed to be wanted. I knew he wanted me and I knew his feelings ran deeper than mine. And, yes, I loved him. But I was never in love with him."

Walter pulled his hand away. "Every time I saw you with him, it felt like I was dying a little more inside. I didn't know it was possible to feel that kind of pain. It was worse than any physical pain I've ever endured."

A sob threatened to crawl up her throat. She'd hurt him so much and all she'd been able to see as it was happening was how much he hurt her.

Walter started flexing his fingers and rubbing them along his thighs before he reached up and scratched the back of his neck and then behind his ear. His fidgeting was starting. It was how he dealt with his anxiety, when it got extreme, so she reached for him again, this time taking both his hands and entwining their fingers, hoping her touch would soothe him. He relaxed almost instantly. But he still kept talking, almost rambling, in that adorable way that was one of a hundred reasons she fell in love with him in the first place.

"And I still don't understand it because there is no logic to it. And I know you've told me and tried to teach me that not everything is logical, especially love, that it's messy and not logical," he said again because that was the only way he was capable of understanding. "And I'm learning. I am. But I can't help who I am Paige. I can't help how my brain works. And I'll probably always fall back into those patterns because that is how my brain processes b-but I want to be the kind of man you want. I don't want to disappoint you."

Paige blinked back the start of her tears. "Walter, I've never wanted you to be anyone but who you are. Yes, sometimes your behavior disappoints me but I fell in love with the man you are, and that's the only man I've ever wanted."

"But you deserve to be cherished and worshiped," he insisted fervently. "And I will do both of those things if you just let me." Paige looked at him stunned. That wasn't something she ever expected to come out of the mouth of Walter O'Brien. "I already do," he vowed. "Even though I don't always know how to show it. Toby believes I just need the opportunity to show you but I don't know if he's right. All I do know is that I love you. I can't promise I won't screw up but I will endeavor not to hurt or disappoint you again. I can learn, Paige. If I'm confident of anything, I'm confident of that. I can learn if you just show me."

Paige blinked rapidly as her vision blurred. She had heard Walter exude passion and elegance and eloquence when talking about science or math but never when he attempted to speak about his emotions. But she felt everything inside her melt as he spoke. She'd begun to doubt that anything she'd done in the last two and a half years had made any difference in his emotional evolution. But that moment, that speech, one she knew was absolute truth for him, proved she hadn't failed him. And with that realization her tears slipped past her lids and down her cheeks.

"Why are you crying?" Walter asked horrified. "If it makes you that unhappy, I'll take it back. I won't mean it but I'll take it back."

She inhaled a shuddering breath and shook her head, unable to speak. Then she did the one thing she'd wanted to do for over a year in a half. She leaned forward, pressing her lips gently to his.

Walter stiffened and she knew his brain was trying to catch up with her actions. But it only took a few seconds before his body relaxed and he started kissing her back. The kiss was soft, not frantic like the first time in the garage. Their lips were closed and just brushed gently at first before Paige pressed hers more firmly against his and she reached up and grasped the front of his shirt, afraid he might pull away.

But it was inevitable when they both needed air. Paige was the first to pull back, seeking oxygen and they both inhaled as she tilted her head to the other side. She felt a whoosh of air as Walter exhaled before their lips met again. Their lips were still closed but Paige was unable to stop her tongue from slipping between her lips and running along the seam of his.

Walter moaned softly, his lips parting, and Paige thought it was the sexiest sound she'd ever heard. She pressed her tongue forward seeking his. Paige shifted closer to him and then it was her turn to moan, when she felt his tongue tentatively caress hers just as she felt Walter's hands reach for her and rest, almost hesitantly, on her rapidly disappearing waist.

The kiss deepened further and Paige felt herself becoming light headed, unsure if it was the lack of oxygen of just the intensity of the kiss. She'd always wondered how Walter would kiss, their first one too brief and mind blowing to be able to tell because her brain had been so scrambled by it. But based on that brief experience she suspected he would do it with as much focus and care as he did with everything that was important to him. And Paige wasn't wrong. It was a combination of tenderness and passion and love and Paige was certain she had never been kissed like this in her life.

Just when she thought her head would explode, Walter pulled back and inhaled deeply as she gasped for breath. He pressed his forehead gently against hers and panted softly, his warm breath caressing her lips, her breath mingling with his, as they caught their breath. One hand slipped down his chest and Paige could feel his heart thundering as hard as her own. Her other hand slipped up to the back of his neck and she gently fingered the soft curls.

"W-w-wow," Walter said so softly she almost didn't hear him and it brought a smile to her lips to know she could render the oftentimes overly verbose genius speechless. And she was consumed with love for him so intensely that she trembled. So she did the first thing that came to mind and pressed her lips against the corner of his mouth softly one last time and his fingers flexed against her hips as a sound that resembled a soft growl escaped his throat.

"I love you," he murmured softly, simply, and Paige sighed. Before she could respond he rushed on to say. "You don't have to say it back. I've just been holding it in for so long."

Paige sat back and reached up to cup his face in her hands again. "Walter, I love you too." He closed his eyes briefly and she knew he was soaking in her words. "I do. But," she continued with another sigh and dropped her hands and entwined their fingers again. "I have way too much baggage in my life right now. I'm going to be a single mother again and I know you're trying to be supportive but it isn't fair to ask you take that on."

"You're not asking me to take anything on." He frowned. "At least nothing I'm not willing to."

"In less than five months I'm going to have an infant needing every waking hour of my time and I'm still trying to figure out how I can be part of Scorpion."

"You'll always be part of Scorpion," he insisted and she saw a brief hint of panic flash in his eyes.

"Walter, relax. I'm not leaving Scorpion." He visibly relaxed in response to her assurance. "But are you honestly telling me you can look at me and not think about the fact that I'm carrying Tim's child."

"It's kind of hard to look at you and not notice you're pregnant," he replied with a wry smile and a brief glance down at her lap.

"Walter, don't be obtuse." Paige poked him gently and he grabbed her finger. "You know what I'm saying. You shouldn't be burdened by having to raise another man's child just because you-."

"Love you?" he finished for her and her eyes softened as a delighted chuckle escaped her lips.

"What's so funny?" he asked as he frowned.

"Nothing." She shook her head as her grin widened. "You just seem to find saying those words to me so easy all of a sudden."

"I have no difficulty stating facts."

And that right there was the crux of Walter O'Brien's existence. Everything came down to facts.

"I love you, Paige," Walter said again and the liaison was sure she would never tire of hearing it. "And I know Ralph is not my son, biologically, but I-I love him, too, as if he were."

Paige knew this. Even before he loved her, before she believed he loved her, and she believed it now, she knew he loved her son as if Ralph was his own.

Walter looked down at their hands and his brow furrowed. She was about to ask him why he was frowning when his face smoothed out and he looked back at her.

"And I will love any child you have, Paige, because she is yours."

Paige inhaled a shuddering breath as he acknowledged that daughter she would be having and she blinked back the tears threatening once again. "I want to believe you, Walter."

"I've never lied to you," he insisted as his fingers flexed around hers. "I might have kept things from you but I've never lied. Not to you."

She released his hands and lifted her to wipe her cheeks. "We have trust we need to rebuild, Walter. A lot has been broken between us."

"I'll do whatever you want," he agreed readily. "Just tell me and I'll do it."

"I want to fix us if you do," Paige confessed.

He nodded but then his lips pursed uncertainly. "I'm going to screw up."

"I know," she reached up and brushed her fingers across his cheek. She watched as his eyes fluttered closed and she could have sworn he trembled. "I will too. So let's make a promise to each other, huh?"

He swallowed reflexively and his eyes opened. "Anything."

"No more secrets," she said and he nodded. "No more backtracking." He nodded again. "No more running." He nodded yet again. "And no more pushing each other away." He nodded a fourth time and Paige suspected he would keep agreeing and nodding to anything and everything she said.

"I want to kiss you again," he blurted out and Paige's lips curved. She slid her fingers into his hair and they crawled over his scalp eliciting a low growl from deep in his chest. His eyes fluttered closed again.

"What's stopping you?" she purred as she slid her lips along his cheek

"Huh?" he exhaled a shuddering breath without opening his eyes. Now she knew he was trembling.

Paige laughed softly "I asked you what's stopping you," she whispered against his ear.

"What's s-stopping me from w-what?"

Another breathless laugh escaped her and Paige sunk her teeth gently into his earlobe, eliciting another low growl from deep in his chest, before she whispered, "I'm going to kiss _you_ now."

"O-okay," he said and swallowed reflexively.

As their lips met, a soft whimper escaped Paige's lips. Again the kiss was soft and slow and full of a promise Paige hoped they were both going to be able to keep.

##############

Paige stood at the sink in the kitchen rinsing her tea cup. She'd given up coffee almost five months ago, just after she found out she was pregnant and now she drank herbal tea in the mornings. It didn't help her wake up but it was hot and if she tried hard enough she was able to pretend it was coffee.

As she set the cup in the drying rack she felt one hand settle on her hip from behind while the other brushed her hair over her shoulder. When she felt Walter's lips brush against the nape of her neck she trembled. In the almost month they had been together, dating seemed like too simplistic a word for the status of their relationship, Walter had shown her a side of him she never imagined existed. When they were alone he was far more affectionate that she would have thought he would be. For a man who had despised and couldn't process human touch very well, he spent a lot of time touching her.

"Walter," she said as her lips curved into a smile. "Toby and Happy should be back from picking up Ralph any minute."

"I texted Toby and told him they didn't need to rush because nothing was happening," he mumbled as he let his lips just barely brush her skin.

She turned to face him and he backed her up against the counter. Her swollen belly pressed against his abdomen as he leaned in to kiss her. It was an odd sensation, something she didn't quite remember from when she was pregnant with Ralph. But then again Drew was gone for a good portion of her pregnancy and when he was home he preferred her horizontal, more than vertical, when he touched her.

Walter buried his face in her neck and just breathed her in. Paige turned her face to kiss the shell of his ear just as the sound of the door opening filled the garage.

Ralph bounded through and Paige heard a low combination of a hum and a growl from the back of Walter's throat before he reluctantly pulled away just in time for Ralph to come around the kitchen wall.

"Did you ask her?" Ralph asked excitedly as he flung his backpack onto the table.

Walter sighed. "I haven't had a chance yet, buddy. And way to go ruining the surprise," Walter said as he squeezed the young boy's shoulder. But it was clear from him tone he wasn't angry.

"Aw, come on, Walter," Ralph complained with an exaggerated sigh. "You've been practicing for days."

"Practicing what?" Paige asked confused as she looked between them.

"Just ask her already. You know she'll say yes," Ralph encouraged as he nudged Walter with his elbow.

Paige's heart sped up. "What is he talking about, Walter?"

The genius reached up and scratched the back of his neck as he looked back at her. "Well, um, we've been d-dating for a month now."

"Yes," Paige said cautiously.

"And, um, well, I have screwed up yet," Walter said before he looked down and Paige knew he was trying to find the right words to say.

"Neither one of us has screwed up yet," she said with an encouraging smile and his lips curved wryly.

"A-and I. Well, you see, I w-want to-"

"Jeez." Ralph finally said with an exasperated roll of his eyes. "He's trying to ask you on a date."

Walter frowned. "I was supposed to ask," he muttered and Paige's lips curved at the disappointed tone of his voice.

"You were taking forever," Ralph replied to his mentor before looking at his mom. "Please go out with him, mom. He really has been practicing for days. Me and Ferret Bueller have been pretending to be you and we can't take it anymore."

"Where's the loyalty?" Walter huffed and pursed his lips. Both mother and son snickered and Paige reached for Walter's hand.

"Walter," she said his name as he and Ralph engaged in a silent conversation as they looked at each other, something they did often but it baffled her how they instinctively knew what the other was thinking without words.

"I told ya she'd go," Ralph said with amused satisfaction as he turned and walked away.

"That didn't go exactly how I planned." Walter looked at her sheepishly and she stepped closer to him.

"Why were you so nervous about asking me? We've been out lots of times."

"But those, I've been informed, weren't technically dates," he insisted as he reached for her hips. "We've gone to dinner, sometimes with Ralph, and sometimes alone but it was pointed out to me, by more than one person I must confess, that I've never taken you on a real date. I wish to rectify that oversight."

"So where are you going to take me?" she said as she pressed closer to him with a delighted smile.

"So you'll go?" he asked almost like he couldn't believe she said yes.

"Of course I will," she chuckled. "Now kiss me one more time before I have to grill my son about his day at school."

"Yes, ma'am," he murmured as he closed the last of the distance between them.

Paige's head fell back in surrender as Walter captured her lips, his hands at her hips tugging her as close as her stomach would allow.

"Uh, mom," Ralph called from the other side of the kitchen wall. "You need to come here right now."

At the sound of the urgency in her son's voice, Paige broke the kiss and stepped back as she looked at Walter. He frowned as is eyes fluttered open.

"Ralph, what's wrong, sweetie?" Paige asked as she grabbed Walter's hand and tugged him along with her.

She turned the corner and stopped in her tracks. Her eyes widened and she lifted a shaking hand to her mouth. "Oh my God!"

Standing just inside the door, beside Cabe, was someone she never thought she'd see again.

"Tim?"

* * *

Thanks again for reading and leaving a review if you feel so inclined. It's been interesting, the disparity of opinions on the story but I welcome all of them as we writers live for feedback both good and bad. It's the way we become better writers.

I'm horribly behind on my reading and reviewing and like Walter I will endeavor to rectify that oversight just as soon as I can. Thanks for your understanding.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Scorpion. I'm just borrowing and playing with them for a while.**

So this is the second half of what was originally supposed to be one chapter. It was to be bookended by Walter's POV. But since I had to break it in half – the last chapter started with his POV and this one ends with it.

I'm not a linear writer – I often write out of sequence thus why I usually don't post as I go. The majority of this chapter is the part of the story I wrote first – when I was the angriest at Paige. So you've been forewarned.

And again forgive me in advance for what I'm going to put Walter through but he is unfortunately collateral damage - you can't hurt Paige without hurting him.

As I was proofing the chapter, I found a couple of places that needed some flushing out so the chapter grew slightly in length but I refused to break it into two again. So pull up a chair... it's a long one.

Thanks to everyone who's reading and reviewing. It makes me happy that you've stuck with me on this one and I love reading the reactions both good and bad. I can't wait to hear what you have to say after this...

One more chapter after this one then a short epilogue…. then I can post the last chapter of Married and get back to Because You Want To.

Enjoy…..

* * *

 ** _Highway to Hell – Chapter 4_**

Tim's hair was shaggy and curled around his face, which bore several new scars that weren't there before he left, including a jagged one that ran from his left eyebrow all the way to his chin. Stitches lined the width of his throat halfway between his chin and his clavicle. One arm was in a sling and the other gripped the head of a cane. As he ambled toward Paige she noticed a metal brace on his knee.

Her eyes blurred as she released Walter's hand and stepped forward just as Tim reached her.

"Oh my God," she choked again and threw her arms around him.

"Paige," he groaned as he dropped the cane and wrapped one arm around her as he buried his face in her neck. She quickly pulled back realizing she was likely hurting him.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She lifted both hands to her mouth now. "How is this possible? I don't understand."

Tim stumbled slightly as he attempted to reach for her again and he released a low grunt as his hip hit the corner of the table beside them.

"Oh, God," she said a third time her frazzled brain unable to come up with any other words to express her shock. "You need to sit." She reached out to steady him. "Toby, grab that chair."

The behaviorist rolled one of the office chairs forward and helped Tim to sit as Paige's eyes whipped to Cabe.

"How?" she asked still at a loss for words as she swiped at the moisture beneath her eyes.

"I just found out a few days ago, kiddo," Cabe said as he walked closer. "As soon as I heard I flew to Washington. I couldn't say anything until he was debriefed and released."

"Why would Homeland need to debrief him? He's a civilian," Paige asked. She felt Tim's hand grasp hers and she looked down at him. His eyes were eagerly soaking her in scanning back and forth between her face and her stomach.

"Anyone who is held hostage by a terrorist faction must be debriefed by Homeland before they can be released back into the general population."

"But they executed you?" Sly said before he snapped his mouth shut. "Oops."

"Sly," Paige scolded as she glared at him.

"Clearly they didn't, Sly," Toby said at the same time, scrutinizing the former SEAL with a frown.

"They executed the others," Tim replied as he tore his eyes from Paige briefly and looked at the mathematician. "But when they realized I was former military they decided to keep me alive."

"But they aired it on live TV," Sly insisted as he fiddled with his band-aid wedding band. "We saw it."

"You didn't watch it, did you?" Tim asked Paige horrified. She shook her head and he visibly relaxed. "It was all visual effects."

"Pretty high tech visual effects for a middle eastern terrorist group," Happy said as she looked on suspiciously. Paige was surprised at the level of animosity on her face.

Tim released Paige's hand and placed his palm against her abdomen. She stepped back, surprised by the touch, and because Walter was standing so close behind her she bumped into him.

His hands gripped her waist to steady her. She instinctively covered his hand with hers and Paige could tell the contact wasn't lost on Tim. Nor was her automatic reaction to back away him. He dropped his hand as he looked at her confused.

Paige wanted to look at Walter to see if she could decipher what was going on in his mind at the moment but she was afraid of what she'd see in his eyes.

"What was the point of keeping you alive?" Walter asked, speaking for the first time, and every eye in the garage turned toward him. He now stood with his arms across his chest and his expression impassive. Ralph stood beside him, the young boy's posture mimicking that of his mentor.

"Dang, boss, that was cold," Toby muttered as Paige gasped his name and looked over her shoulder at him.

"Walter!"

The genius looked at her with guarded eyes before they slid back to Tim. The former SEAL's gaze locked with Walter's and the tension is the room ratcheted up another notch.

"I don't mean anything by that," he added dispassionately. "It's illogical that they'd kill the others and keep him alive. Unless they had something specific in mind for him."

"Walter's right, as usual," Tim said and even Paige couldn't miss the passive aggressive tone as he kept his eyes on the genius. "Once they discovered I was a former SEAL disposing of me should have been priority one."

"You're the one they shot first," Sly muttered under his breath. "It looked so real."

"Sly!" Happy barked. "Damn! Will you stop talking about that?!"

"But they had plans for you," Walter pressed ignoring the exchange between the two other geniuses. "It's the only logical reason."

Paige saw Tim's nostrils flare and the fingers of his right hand clench as Cabe finally cut in. "That's classified, Walter."

Tim released a long breath through his nose and blinked. "Cabe's correct. That's all I can say. And it's not important." He turned his attention back to Paige and reached out his hand again although he stopped before he touched her abdomen. "All that matters to me is how you and the baby are."

"Here, you should sit too," Toby said as he rolled another chair up beside Tim's.

Paige sat down and tentatively took Tim's hand in hers. She brought it to her stomach and she watched as he looked down and inhaled a shuddering breath.

"She's good. We both are," Paige said and she blinked her eyes as she saw his moisten.

"She?" he breathed and his eyes lifted to hers happiness shining in them but there was still a tension there. Something Paige couldn't quite identify but it made her uneasy. She shook the thought away as she nodded and smiled tremulously.

Tim lifted his uninjured hand and cupped the back of Paige's neck, pulling her forward. She had barely enough time to turn her face before his lips pressed against her cheek.

"Tim," she said his name regretfully as she extricated herself from his grasp. She immediately turned to seek out Walter but both her boyfriend and her son were nowhere to be seen. Her eyes met Toby's and his pointed toward the ceiling with a rueful look.

"Paige?" Tim said her name uncertainly and she met his eyes again.

Her chest tightened with the knowledge that after everything he'd apparently been through now she was going to break his heart. And her own was going to break along with it.

"Tim, we need to talk."

"Okay," he said slowly and the tension around his eyes returned. "Can I kiss you first? I've been dying to kiss you for months."

She shook her head gently and squeezed his hand where it had dropped into his lap. "I need you to just give me a couple of minutes first, okay?"

################

Paige stepped onto the roof to find Walter and her son exactly where she expected. They were leaning on the wall as they looked out over the city, their posture and demeanor identical.

"Hey," she said softly as she walked up behind them. When neither responded she put her hand on Ralph's shoulder.

"Ralph, sweetie, can you give me and Walter a few minutes to talk?"

He looked up at her with an expression that was identical to Walter's, when he was upset. The two were so much alike, her son picking up so many of Walter's mannerisms over the years, that is was sometimes hard to remember he wasn't Walter's biological child.

"I know Tim being alive is a shock, but it's going to be okay," she said more confidently than she felt as she slid her fingers into his hair, the gesture soothing her more than him.

"Do you promise?" he asked and for a moment he sounded like an innocent, insecure little boy again, not the articulate twelve year old genius he'd become.

"Scoop," Paige said over the lump in her throat as she leaned down and kissed the top of his head. "Now why don't you go down and say hi to Tim. I'm sure he'd like to talk to you. Walter and I will be down in a few minutes."

Ralph looked at Walter and the genius reached out and squeezed the young boy's shoulder silently. Paige knew it was Walter's way of reassuring Ralph and Paige felt her chest swell with love for him.

Ralph walked away reluctantly, his eyes sliding back and forth between his mom and Walter. Paige watched him go through the door and close it behind him before she stepped up beside Walter and rested her elbows on the wall beside his.

Her mind was on overload, the shock of seeing Tim alive making her head spin, so she could just imagine what Walter was going through.

"Walter," she said he name as she looked over at him but he just pursed his lips and continued to look straight ahead. When another minute passed without him acknowledging her presence Paige released a sigh.

"Walter, look at me please."

He still didn't respond but she could see he was flexing his fingers. He was at his breaking point. But, then again, so was she.

"Walter, knock it off," she snapped in an irritated tone.

He finally turned his head to look at her and she could see the apprehension in his eyes. The worry and the fear reflected back at her; fear she knew stemmed from his belief that he was going to lose her to Tim.

She turned him to face her, gripping his forearm and she could feel the muscles clenching as he continued to flex his fingers agitatedly as his arms dropped to his sides.

"I won't let you do this," she said firmly. "I won't let you backtrack and push me away. We agreed we were done with that."

"Everything's changed now." Walter looked down at where her fingers were gently caressing the inside of his elbow.

"Why?" she asked quietly as she skimmed her hand down his forearm and slid her fingers through his.

"Because Tim's alive," he said abruptly as his eyes snapped back to hers and he yanked his hand away. She pressed her lips together to hide her hurt and let it go because she knew he was upset and worried.

"That doesn't change anything with us," she said gently. "Yes, I'm ecstatic he's alive, but it changes nothing between us."

Walter's demeanor relaxed imperceptibly but his eyes were still guarded. "You're carrying his child, Paige. And he will want you back."

"It doesn't matter what he wants," she said simply as she stepped closer to him, reaching for his hand again.

"It should," Walter argued and she could see he was fighting his instinctive logical nature with his newly tapped, tentative, emotional one.

"No, it shouldn't. Walter, I love you," she said simply and honestly as she reached up and cupped his face. His eyes fluttered the way they always did when she touched him. "I'm in love with you, I've always loved you, and nothing is going to change that."

The relief that swept through him was obvious as his entire body sagged. His hands reached for her waist and tugged her closer. Despite her burgeoning abdomen that swelled a little more every day, Walter never hesitated to pull her as close as he could get her.

"Say it again," he asked softly, almost begging, as their faces moved closer.

"Say what?" she smiled and teased, knowing exactly what he was asking.

He grunted and frowned and she chuckled softly.

"I love you." She gave in and brushed her lips against his softly. He inhaled a shuddering breath before he kissed her back. "Do you love me?" she whispered against his lips when they parted briefly.

"Yes," Walter breathed as he pulled her as closer and took her lips in another soft kiss, this one deeper and longer.

"Ahem."

The sound of Tim clearing his throat broke them apart and she felt Walter stiffen against her. Paige released a little sigh as she stepped back, feeling Tim's hard gaze on them. She knew her next words were not going to go over well but they had to be said.

"Walter, can you give Tim and I a few minutes please," Paige repeated what she'd asked her son a few minutes earlier. She briefly wondered if Ralph had sent Tim up there, hoping the former SEAL would find his mother and Walter in each other's arms. He certainly had proven himself capable of such cunning in the past.

Walter's lips curved down into another frown and his eyes flashed as she both felt and saw his anxiety return. She reached up to brush an eyelash off his cheek but it was also to silently let him know she saw his unhappiness and hopefully he understood she was acknowledging it.

Whether he did or not he nodded his head and stepped away from her. Paige turned and saw Tim watching them with hardened eyes. He and Walter didn't acknowledge each other as Walter walked by him and through the door to the stairs.

"How long has that been going on?" Tim demanded immediately, his tone cold and abrupt. It was a tone she'd never heard from him previously and her hope that perhaps they might be able to have a civil conversation vanished. "Did either one of you even wait until you thought my body was cold?"

"Tim, it wasn't like that."

"Wasn't it?" He leaned on his cane and attempted to shift the weight from one injured leg to the other.

"Why don't you sit down?" Paige suggested as she motioned to one of the chairs to their right. "You shouldn't have walked up all those stairs with your bad leg."

"I don't want to sit!" he barked. "Was this going on even before I disappeared? Was it going on the entire time I was in Jordan?"

Paige crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "Of course not. How can you even ask me that? You know I'm not that kind of person."

He shook his head angrily and ambled toward one of the chairs. "I'm not sure I know you at all right now." He dropped down into the chair and she saw the relief on his face as he took the weight off his bad leg. "Is this baby even mine?"

"Tim," Paige said his name in a low dangerous tone as she dropped her arms and walked toward him. "I'm going to let that slide because I'm sure you're shocked and hurt right now and I have no idea what kind of torture you endured or what you've been through. But I'm only going to give you one pass."

Tim exhaled a long breath and closed his eyes. "You're right. I'm sorry." When he opened them again his eyes were still hard but not quite as irate. "I just don't understand. You told me you were over Walter. You said you were committed to me. And now, now barely three months after you think I _died_ , you and Walter are together. You can't blame me for wondering how long it's been going on. Is that why you didn't want me to come back from Jordan?"

"Of course it wasn't. And that isn't fair, Tim."

He anger returned quickly and replied abruptly. "No! What's not fair is that I've spent every moment for the last three months thinking about you and doing anything I had to so I could come back to you. And our child. And now I find out that you and Walter are together. When did it start?" he demanded. "I have a right to know."

Paige sighed tiredly as she sat down in the chair across from him. "Tim, it's complicated. Everything with Walter is complicated. You know that."

"That's because he an android," he scoffed and Paige bristled. She'd called Walter that once and she still regretted it. "Tell me, how quickly did he make a move on you?"

Tim's tone was slightly less hostile now that he was sitting. "It wasn't like that," Paige insisted feeling the need to defend Walter against Tim's accusations. "Walter's been in love with me for a long time."

Tim scoffed as he rolled his eyes. "I know he has."

Paige narrowed her eyes at him. "That's right. You all knew it long before I did, since he blurted it out over the comms for everyone, but me, to hear."

"How do you know about that?" He almost looked sheepish and for a second she saw a glimpse of the sweet man she probably could have fallen in love with if Walter O'Brien didn't exist.

"Yes, but none of that's important anymore." She reached for his hand, surprised he didn't pull away. "Tim, I'm so happy you're alive. I'm so happy you're going to know our daughter." The emotion in her voice was obvious even to the angry SEAL and she saw him soften slightly. "But we both know things were falling apart between us. Be honest. That's why you were coming back."

"I was coming back because I loved you and wanted to marry you," he said fervently. "I still do. It was the thought of you and our baby and Ralph that kept me hanging on."

Paige felt the sob creeping up her throat and she swallowed back the lump that was making it hard to breath. "And I'm so glad you did."

"Then why are you doing this?" His question was a plea. "I'm alive and we can be a family. All four of us. I'd give you the world, Paige, if you'd just let me."

Paige's lip trembled. "I know you'd try." She blinked. "And in another life I"-

"Don't," he snapped instantly angry again. "Please just spare me the 'if things were different' speech okay. This is your choice! You're choosing a man who has no idea how to show you how he feels, if he's even capable of feeling at all."

"Tim, stop it!" Paige said firmly. "Insulting Walter isn't going to make me change my mind."

"You always loved him," he accused. "Even when you were with me, didn't you?"

"Tim, please don't do this," she pleaded as she stood up.

"Then tell me the truth," he demanded again. "I deserve at least that for the way you played me. You never loved me at all."

"I did love you, Tim. I do," she added hoping he understood. "But not in the way you want me to or the way you deserve. I'm sorry for hurting you. I never wanted to."

After a moment the anger appeared to drain out of him and he just look resigned. "So what are we supposed to do?"

Paige took his hand again and placed it on her stomach. "We're going to have a beautiful daughter in a few months. Just because we aren't together doesn't mean we can't raise her together."

Tim scoffed under his breath as flexed his fingers gently against her abdomen.

"I want you to be as much a part of her life as I am and I know it will take some maneuvering but I also know we can do it."

As Paige said the words she hoped she sounded more confident than she felt.

############

"You need some help with that?"

Paige looked up to see Happy standing a few feet away watching her curiously.

The liaison sighed and sat back against the pile of pillows she'd shoved behind her back.

"Ralph used to do this for me," she said as she slipped the small brush into the bottle and turned the cap. "I always thought he just liked painting them until Walter told me it was because he wanted to hold my hand. He used to paint each toe a different color when I let him but I insisted my fingers at least were all uniform." Paige smiled at the memory.

"You let him paint your toes, not just your fingers?" Happy looked a little grossed out and Paige chuckled.

"I took any kind of contact my son was willing to give me. He was always so much better at it than I was, so meticulous that it took three times as long as it should have. But it would still break my heart when he was finished and he'd pull away from me again."

"Give me the bottle," Happy said as he held out her hand. "And don't you dare tell Toby about this because he'll never let me live it down."

Paige shifted and Happy sat on the end of Walter's bed. She gave the mechanic the nail polish and straightened her legs.

"Thanks," Paige replied. "My stomach is just too big now. Seeing my feet is becoming a challenge never mind reaching them."

"Well, you're making a complete mess of them. Hand me that," Happy pointed to the bottle of nail polish remover on the bedside table. "You shouldn't be using acetone when you're pregnant."

Paige handed Happy a couple of cotton balls. "Walter said it was okay as long as I used it in moderation."

Happy made a face as the scent of the acetone hit her nose. "Technically as long as you're exposed to it sparingly and you use it in a well ventilated area you're fine but why take the chance."

Paige shrugged and smiled. "I like having my toenails painted. It makes me feel girly and sexy."

Happy snorted. "You're such a chick."

"Thank you," Paige said taking the words as a compliment even though she knew the mechanic didn't mean them as one.

"You don't have to do this kind of stuff for Walt, you know," Happy said absently as she removed the last of the nail polish from Paige's toes. "He would find you attractive in a brown burlap sack."

"I'm not doing it for Walter. I'm doing it for me." Her smile widened. "If it has the side benefit of driving him a little wild then so be it."

"Do you even know the man you're dating Dineen?" Happy snorted as she tipped the nail polish bottle over and shook it. "Now if you painted the Fibonacci sequence on your toes you'd get his attention. But this is just going to go right over his head."

Paige shrugged. "Maybe. But I'm getting to be as big as a whale so I need something to distract his attention away from my expanding body."

"Like I said. "Burlap sack."

A surprisingly comfortable silence filled the room as Happy started repainting the toenails of Paige's left foot.

"So, it's pretty wild that Tim's alive, huh?" the mechanic said casually without looking up from her task.

Paige was waiting for Happy to approach her about this. She was surprised it took her almost two weeks.

"It's a miracle that he survived," Paige said carefully.

"There are no such things as miracles."

"Then I guess he was incredibly lucky." Happy moved to Paige's right foot and started painting her baby toe.

"There is no such thing as luck either."

Happy continued to focus on her task and Paige tilted her head as she asked. "What do you want to ask me Happy?"

"What?" the mechanic snapped as she looked up. "I was just making an observation."

"I know you're protective of Walter," Paige said gently, knowing they were both treading on delicate territory. "But I'm not going to hurt him."

Happy made a noise in the back of her throat before she looked back down. "Your relationship with Walt is none of my business."

"I love him, Happy," Paige said and she waited for Happy to lift her head. It was important that Happy look at her as she said this so the mechanic had no doubt as to the truth of her words. "I'm glad Tim is alive and safe and will know his daughter, but there will never be anything more between us again. My heart is Walter's. It always has been."

"Don't go getting sappy on me Dineen. Jeez," Happy rolled her eyes in mock annoyance as she finished with Paige's right foot. "I know how you feel about Walt. I knew, probably, before you did. I may not say much but I see everything."

Happy pushed Paige's foot off her lap and screwed on the nail polish cap before she whipped her hands on her jeans. Happy looked toward the window and Paige had known the engineer long enough to be patient. The woman would say what she wanted to say eventually. She didn't have to wait long before Happy cleared her throat.

"I just know you and I have never been that close, and I'm probably to blame for that more than you, but I, uh, wanted you to know you can talk to me if you need to talk to someone who doesn't have a penis."

Paige smiled as Happy looked back at her. "Thank you, Happy. That means a lot to me."

"Okay," Happy said after wiping her hands on her jeans one more time. She stood and Paige waited again because she could tell Happy had more to say. "So, don't make it a big deal, or anything, but, uh, if you ever need a break. Or you and Walt want some time alone, the Doc and I could probably pitch in….. that is if you don't have Ralph do it."

"He may be a genius but Ralph is too young to babysit an infant. But that's a sweet offer, Happy." Paige reached for Happy's hand and squeezed it.

Happy shook her off. "I just had my hand on your feet."

Paige laughed. "My feet are clean, Happy."

"Still," the mechanic shuddered and shook her hands again and Paige laughed harder.

"Anyway, Ralph and I had no one was he was a baby." She rubbed the swell of her belly. "But this one is going to be incredibly lucky to have this family."

"I told you there is no such thing as luck," Happy said. But it's going to be an interesting balancing act with Timbo in the picture."

"I know you don't particularly like Tim, Happy."

"Did O'Brien tell you that?" Happy scowled.

"No, but I'm not an idiot. I think Sly and Cabe were the only ones who genuinely liked him. But that's okay. He's going to be a permanent fixture here, more permanent than Drew because Tim intends to stick around, but Walter and I will figure it out."

"Like I said an interesting balancing act," Happy reiterated and is almost sounded like a warning before she added. "If you need me to kick either of their asses, let me know. Although I'll be more inclined to beat up Timbo than Walter, O'Brien does need a swift kick in the ass from time to time."

"I'll remember that," Paige replied casually but she suspected she might have to enlist Happy's ass kicking skills at some point.

"Well I guess I should go. Give me that acetone." She held out her hand and Paige gave her the bottle.

"I'll make you something else that will do the same thing without risking potential brain damage to your rugrat."

"Thanks again for your help, Happy," Paige said sincerely. She'd enjoyed her time with the engineer. She actually always did and decided right then she was going to actively seek more time with her.

"Yeah," Happy said as she turned to go just as Walter walked around the bookshelf.

"Happy," he said as he looked at the two women curiously.

"O'Brien," she replied and left without another word.

Walter walked over to the bed with his hands in his pockets. "Do I want to know what you and Happy were doing up here?"

"Nope," she grinned and held out her hand. "Help me up please."

He took it instantly. "Your stomach isn't so big that your center of gravity should prevent you from rising on your own yet," he mused as he pulled her to stand.

"Tell that to my Cerebellum," she retorted.

Walter blinked as he released her hand. "How did you know that's the area of the brain that controls balance?"

"Ralph," Paige replied smugly as she adjusted her shirt over her stomach. "Although you don't have to look so surprised. My IQ isn't that low."

"Your IQ falls firmly in the normal range, although you have surprisingly exhibited periodic moments of brilliance," he replied absently as he slid his hands along her hips.

"Gee, thanks," Paige snorted as she shook her head.

"Uh, that didn't come out quite right," Walter cringed as he looked at her. "What I mean is-"

She patted him on the chest. "It's okay, Walter. I know what you meant." She glanced down at her feet. "How do my toes look?" she asked and he frowned as he followed her gaze.

"What's wrong with your toes? Are your feet swelling?" he asked with concern as he crouched down and felt her ankles. "Edema is very common during pregnancy."

"Walter," Paige laughed as she pulled him up. "My feet are fine. I was talking about my toenails."

"What about them?" he looked confused.

"I just painted them," she said honoring her promise to Happy not to tell anyone the mechanic did it. She knew Walter could care less about her painted toenails but she felt like teasing him. "What do you think?"

He cleared his throat and looked down. He observed them for a long moment before he replied. "The color is very bright."

"I thought you liked me in the color red."

"You look lovely in any color," he replied as he looked at her cautiously. "Is this some kind of test?"

Paige laughed again. "No, Walter. I was just curious what you thought of them."

"Oh."

Hi confusion was adorable and Paige wanted to kiss him but she decided she wanted to have some fun with him first.

"So what do you think?"

"Honestly, I don't understand why women do that? They're toes. Most of the time they're inside your socks. What's the point of painting them?"

"Because it can make a woman feel sexy."

"Are you sure this isn't a test because it's starting to feel like one, uh, one I'm likely doomed to fail."

"Walter, relax." Paige lifted one foot and wiggled her toes as she grabbed onto his arm for balance. "Just look at my toes again." He pursed his lips but he did as she asked. "Now close your eyes."

"Paige," he said her name with exasperation but she just looked at him pointedly.

"I don't understand the point of this," he complained but again did as she asked. Paige had quickly discovered there was very little Walter would refuse to do for her even things he thought were ridiculous.

She stepped closer and lowered her voice. "Now picture this. You're sitting at your desk, working, caught up in whatever it is you're doing. I walk up to you but you're too focused on your work to notice me right away."

"Why wouldn't you just say my name to get my attention?" he asked clearly oblivious to the scene she was trying to set with her words.

"Walter, just shut up and focus on the image of what I'm describing please. Just picture it."

"Okay," he said with a sigh. "Sorry."

Paige lowered her voice another octave as she started speaking again. "You don't notice me right away but then your eye catches a flash of color, down near the floor, out of the corner of your eye. You look down and see my red toes as they peek out of the front of my high heels."

Paige ran her hands up his chest and felt him shiver.

"Then your eyes follow the path along my foot up to where the strap of my heel wraps around my ankle."

Walter cleared his throat and Paige's lips curved upward.

"Slowly your eyes move upward, along my calf until it reaches my knee."

Walter swallowed audibly and Paige could feel her heart hammering beneath her fingers.

"Your gaze moves past my knee and starts upward over my thigh where you find another flash of the same red as my toes, as the hem of my dress comes into view."

A low growl reverberated from inside Walter's chest and he swallowed again before licking his lips. Paige wasn't sure where the courage to tease him like this had come from but she felt her body heat from the inside out. And it definitely wasn't the result of a pregnancy hot flash. It was still much too early for those. But the effect she could see her words were having on Walter emboldened her and she leaned closer to his ear.

"The material flares softly around my thighs as your eyes continue their ascent up over my waist where it gathers tighter."

Paige felt Walter's fingers flex against her waist and another sound reverberated in his chest. Her lips curved. Well what was left of her waist Paige mused to herself silently.

"Finally your gaze brushes over my breasts encased in the deep red material except where the neckline plunges between them."

The growl morphed into a soft choke as he said her name. "Paige."

She let out a soft seductive chuckle as she finally had mercy on him.

She brushed her lips against his ear. "So tell me again, Walter. What do you think of my toes?"

"Stunning," he breathed as he opened his eyes. They were dark and full of a desire Paige had only dreamed of seeing in them. He clutched her closer and captured her lips as he released a groan of relief. Paige lifted her arms up over his shoulders and then slid her fingers through the hair on the back of his head as she surrendered.

A small whimper escaped her lips as Walter kissed her urgently, the tension she'd built up in him releasing all at once as he poured his desire for her into the kiss.

When their lips finally parted Paige inhaled deeply as Walter panted shallowly.

Paige smiled as her conversation with Happy replayed through her head. Guess Walter's ex-wife was wrong.

It took a few minutes before the genius could speak coherently again.

"Why have I never seen this red dress?"

##################

Paige jumped and tore her eyes from her computer screen as she felt hands on her shoulders.

"It's just me," Walter murmured as his fingers caressed the nape of her neck. She tilted her head back and looked up at him.

"Why are you sneaking up on me?"

"We have to leave for your appointment in fifteen minutes."

"We don't have to be there until eleven thirty. Why do we have to leave so early?"

He didn't answer her. Instead he smiled and leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. Paige closed her eyes and sighed softly. He only showed her affection like that when no one else was around and Toby and Happy were on the other side of the garage doing god knows what and Sly had taken the day off to take Ralph to some Super Fun Guy event at the Santa Monica Pier.

Since they began dating, he often pulled her aside, into dark corners of the garage, to sneak kisses when the other geniuses were distracted with their individual projects. At first she was surprised because it was not something she ever expected Walter to do but she quickly learned he couldn't help himself. When Walter O'Brien embraced his emotional side he did it with the same enthusiasm as he did everything.

"You should probably use the ladies room so we don't have to stop halfway there," Walter teased and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"I've only done that once," she said as she turned her chair and stood. "And to be fair the drive to San Diego is long."

"It's less than two hours," he replied amused.

"I drank a lot of water before we left," she replied grumpily.

He smiled indulgently at her and normally Paige would find that endearing. At the moment not so much.

"Paige, you live in the bathroom these days. Toby says it's normal and I just need to plan routes around possible bathroom stops. The route to the doctor's office has three such possible stops but we'll be late if we have to make even one while en route to your appointment. Unless we leave in the next fifteen minutes."

She was overcome with an intense wave of affection for him in that moment, but it quickly morphed into desire, and Paige hurled herself at him, her momentum and her stomach sending him stumbling backward until his back slammed against the concrete column beside her desk.

He grunted into her mouth as she pressed her lips to his but he didn't push her away. A small groan escaped his throat as he gripped her hips and deepened the kiss. Paige shoved her hands into his hair, her fingers gripping the short strands of his hair and she whimpered softly as she tugged, not so gently, as she writhed against him as best as her pregnant body would let her.

Her entire body hummed and pulsed and throbbed and she finally forced herself away from him, pulling back and gasping for air. Walter's inhaled deeply as his eyes opened and they were wild and dark and full of such intensity Paige could have sworn she felt it through her entire body.

She was incredibly frustrated lately, sexually frustrated, and sometimes it became extremely overwhelming. She had forgotten how horny being pregnant made her. It had been a long time since she was pregnant with Ralph and that little tidbit of information had been lost inside her memory until she and Walter had begun dating.

They agreed to take it slow and not rush into a physical relationship. Walter's experience was very limited, something he admitted honestly but with much hesitation. And while Paige was not a prude by any means, she didn't want Walter's first view of her naked body to be one that was stretched by pregnancy.

They spent a lot of time kissing and cuddling and touching but Walter was careful not to let it go too far.

At first, that was fine with Paige. She enjoyed just being affectionate with him but as her pregnancy progressed her hormones kicked into overdrive and it had become harder and harder to not just pin her genius down and ride him like a bucking bronco.

Paige could contain her hormones most of the time but sometimes he said or did something that made her surge with love for him and then all hell would break loose. Walter was always good about it, taking it like a man, and letting her get it out of her system, but still stopping it before it went too far if they were alone. But times like these when they were in the middle of the garage, in the middle of the day, with others not too far away, it seemed to stun them both.

He usually needed to excuse himself to the bathroom or the loft and it always left Paige feeling very self-satisfied, although she was still not sexually satisfied.

"I'm sorry," she murmured as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"T-that…. that's o-okay," he said, still clearly stunned, his brain not yet functioning.

"So, we leave in fifteen minutes?" Paige said as she fanned herself with her hand.

"Yup," he said as he swallowed. "I, uh, h-have to go, uh," Walter stuttered as he pushed off away from the column.

Paige glanced down and could see the affect she had on him and her lips curved. "Yeah, you should take care of that before we go."

She watched as Walter's face heated all the way to the tips of his ears.

"I'll b-be… be right b-back," he said as he rushed up the stairs and Paige chuckled despite herself as she headed toward the ladies room, knowing Walter was right. She should use the facilities before they got on the road.

###########

When Paige returned to her desk a few minutes later Tim was leaning against it. His arm was no longer in a sling and the brace on his knee was gone. But he still had his cane and it rested also against her desk beside him. The stitches in his neck had been removed but the scar was still red and raw looking. Paige suspected it would be for quite a while.

"Hey," she greeted with a smile. After their talk on the roof it took a couple of weeks for Tim to resign himself to the fact that Paige was not going to rekindle their relationship. They'd spoken a few more times as he was eager to hear more about her pregnancy but they hadn't seen each other since, partially due to Tim traveling to visit his parents.

"Hi, he smiled at her.

"I didn't know you were back," she said as he started straightening her desk. She despised leaving her desk disorganized.

"Yeah, I got back last night."

"How are you doing?" she asked genuinely curious.

He shrugged. "Hanging in there."

"What brings you by?" she asked as she turned her computer off and opened her bottom draw to pull out her purse.

"I was hoping to take you to lunch." Off her look he continued as he held up one hand. "I have no ulterior motive except to talk so we can figure out how we're going to do this. I'm completely out of my depth here and I would like to know how and when I can be involved in this. I want to be part of it, Paige."

She decided to take him words at face value because Tim had never been disingenuous with her. "I'm not going to keep you out of any aspect of it that you want to be a part of, Tim," she assured him. "And you're right we should sit down and talk about it but today isn't a good day."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes," Paige checked her purse for her cell phone. "I just have to leave for my check up in a few minutes so maybe we can do it tomorrow?"

"Um," he said and pushed off the edge of the desk to stand up. "Would you mind if I came along?"

"Oh," Paige said before she bit her bottom lip. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea. Walter is coming with me."

"Seriously?" Tim said as he frowned. "What happened to you're going to 'involve me in everything' I want to be involved in? Is that why you didn't mention your appointment the last time we talked?"

Paige was not in the mood to argue with him today.

"Tim, if I'd known you would going to be back today, I would have mentioned it but you said you didn't know when you'd be back. And Walter has come with me to all my appointments."

"Well he doesn't need to, now, that I'm back," Tim replied peevishly.

"Armstrong." Walter appeared at the bottom of the stairs, his expression irritated as he approached. He clearly heard part of the conversation but Paige wasn't sure how much. "What are you doing here?"

"He wanted to talk but I told him we're on our way out to my appointment," Paige said hoping to diffuse what was a potentially volatile situation by wrapping up the conversation quickly.

Walter placed his hand on her hip possessively and Paige barely resisted rolling her eyes. "You should call in advance next time so you don't come all the way over for nothing."

Tim crossed his arms over his chest. "Well as it turns out it wasn't for nothing. Now that I'm here you don't have to take time out of your busy day to accompany Paige to her appointment. I can take her."

"I don't think so," Walter said, his tone broaching no room for argument.

Toby sauntered through the kitchen from wherever he'd been, completely oblivious to the tension.

"Hey Timbo," he greeted using the name Tim hated.

"Toby," the former SEAL greeted with an aggravated shake of his head.

"What brings you by on this fine day?"

"I'm going to take Paige to her doctor's appointment."

"I thought you were taking her," Toby said as he looked at Walter confused and Paige dropped her head into her hands. She could feel her blood pressure rising and her doctor was not going to be happy.

"I am," Walter replied as he released Paige's hip and mimicked Tim's posture.

"There is no need to take you away from all your important work," Tim said and the sarcastic note wasn't lost on anyone in the room. "I'm here now. I can take Paige so she and _our daughter_ can get their check up."

"There is nothing more important than Paige," Walter replied as he stepped around her and closer to Tim. "I've taken Paige and _her daughter_ to all their appointments. There is no need to alter the routine now."

"Uh oh," Toby muttered just as Paige stepped in.

She grabbed Walter's arm. "Walter, let's talk for a minute. Tim, wait here."

She tugged the genius through the kitchen and stopped on the other side of the fridge.

"Walter, the two of you have to stop this," she scolded him gently. "You're both grown men and you have to stop acting like school boys on the playground."

"What did I do?" he asked with a frown. "He's the one who started it," he added sourly. "Where does he get off just showing up here unannounced like that?"

"He should have called first," she agreed. "But now that he's here he's asked to come to my appointment."

The tension was radiating off Walter in waves so his next words were not a surprise to Paige.

"Having the both of us there is asking for trouble, Paige. I know we have to find a way to co-exist for your and the baby's sake but we can hardly tolerate each other right now."

"Yes you do," she agreed. "And I agree having both of you there is not a good idea."

She waited for him to decipher her meaning. She wanted Walter to go with her but she felt obligated to let Tim go. And Paige knew it wasn't going to go over well with Walter at all. It took several seconds but the recognition finally dawned in his eyes.

"So you would rather I don't go?" he asked tightly.

She could hear the hurt in his tone and she grabbed his hand. "I want you to go, Walter. But how can I refuse him? He's already missed so much of this pregnancy."

"I guess you can't," Walter replied abruptly as he pulled his hand away. "I'll see you when you return."

He turned and started to walk away.

"Walter, please try to understand."

He didn't stop his retreat and just walked up the ramp toward the loft.

Paige's shoulders slumped. Toby walked up beside her.

"I'll talk to him."

"Toby, what should I do?"

"Just go to your appointment. That's your priority. I'll deal with 197."

She wanted to follow Walter but she knew Toby was right so she turned and walked back toward Tim.

#############

"I'm sorry I acted immaturely earlier."

Paige's eye softened as she looked up from the bench she was sitting on. She'd asked Tim to drop her at the park down the street from the garage rather than take her back. She didn't want him and Walter to get into another confrontation.

So he wouldn't worry she'd texted him to let him know she was at the park and would be back at the garage in a while. But she was relieved he sought her out because it meant he wasn't still angry. Although she had no doubt he was still hurt, which with Walter was often worse than angry.

His expression and demeanor were still tense and agitated but Paige could tell he was desperate to make things right with her.

"I was looking forward to accompanying you to your appointment and I was disappointed."

Paige stood up and stepped toward him. "Walter, I was looking forward to you coming with me too. But how could I deny Tim when he's already missed so much?"

She reiterated what she said earlier but it sounded hollow even to her ears. Walter's eyes still reflected his internal conflict and she could tell he wanted to say something but was holding his tongue. She stepped closer and lifted her hands to his face.

Paige had quickly learned in their short time together that her touch soothed him more than anything else. From past experience she knew her touch could reassure and give him support. But, now, he always all but melted whenever she touched his face. His eyes fluttered and everything hard and tense about him softened.

"And I was j-jealous," he confessed quietly and she knew how hard that admission was for him. Walter O'Brien vehemently denied jealousy of any kind.

"You don't need to be jealous of Tim." She felt him tense again and she did the second thing that always seemed to make him melt, she pressed her nose into his cheek and whispered against his skin. "I love you, Walter."

She felt his hands reach for her hips.

"I love you," he breathed in return as he pulled her closer before he spoke again. "And Toby reminded me that someday you might be willing to carry my child and no one could push me aside then."

Paige hiccupped softly at both what he said and his choice of words. The fact that he might actually want a biological child of his own, with her, and that he felt pushed aside now was a combination of elation and sadness.

There were so many times she wished the child growing inside her was his but then she felt guilty because if it was it wouldn't be the exact child growing inside her. And she loved her daughter, who had yet to make her debut in the world, as much as she loved Ralph.

Paige knew he was waiting for her acknowledgement of his subtly worded request but she wasn't sure what to say. She would willingly have a child with him but the thought of doing this again was exhausting at the moment. Not to mention it would mean she would have three children by three different men.

Someone should just book her on Jerry Springer right now.

"I won't let you be pushed aside, Walter," Paige said softly hoping to reassure him. "But I have to make room for Tim in this."

He stepped back and dropped his hands from her hips. The distance forced her to also drop her hands from his face. She could tell he was disappointed in her response as he looked down.

"I will endeavor not to do anything to make you feel conflicted or put any undue expectations on you."

"Walter," she said his name softly and he lifted his eyes to hers.

"No, it's alright, Paige," Walter insisted as his eyes slid toward the ducks swimming in the pond beside them. Paige knew he was trying to figure out a way to retreat. "You need to focus on this child not some hypothetical future one."

"Walter," she said his name again trying to bring his attention back to her.

"Everything went well at your appointment, I assume." His eyes slid back to hers and they were guarded once again.

"Yes, everything is fine," she sighed resigned.

"Good. Good," he said with a nod of his head. "Well I need to get back to the garage. I have to finish some work before Ralph gets home from school so we continue working on our project. Would you like a ride back?"

He started to move around her, not waiting for an answer, and she reached for him, wrapping her fingers around his wrist. He stopped but didn't look at her. But she needed to say this as much as she knew he needed to hear it.

"The answer is yes." His eyes slid back to her. They remained guarded but she could see hope in them. "Yes, having your child is something I would want if that is something you still want after living through the infancy and toddlerhood of this one. You might change your mind and run screaming like Sly runs from germs." She squeezed his wrist gently as she attempted to make him smile. She was successful and his lips quirked in the corner. "But we still have a long way to go before we'll be ready for that and I would really like to plan it out next time."

"That's logical," he said as he turned to face her again and she reached up and smoothed out the wrinkle between his eyebrows. He grasped her hand and brought her palm to his lips.

"You always ask me to be patient with you," Paige said as she met his eyes. "I'm now asking you to be patient with me."

"I'm all in," he said with a conviction that made her heart stutter in her chest. "And that will never change."

"I know," she murmured as she moved to kiss him, Toby words resonating in her brain.

Walter would never waver.

###################

Paige sat back in the chair and stretched. She had a splitting headache. The past three weeks had been stressful with two cases that took Walter and the rest of the team, except her and Sly, out of the country.

One was relatively calm and routine for them but the other turned bad in an instant when the South American gun runners discovered they were being hacked and tracked. Walter and Happy had been captured and Paige had melted down, reminded of what happened to Tim month's earlier. When the sound of gunshots came over the comms, she started hyperventilating and her blood pressure spiked and she later learned Sly and Ralph barely managed to catch her as she blacked out.

When she woke in the hospital it was to the sounds of Walter and Tim scuffling and arguing in the hallway outside her room as Cabe warned them he would throw them both out if they didn't knock it off.

She called Walter's name and he rushed to her side exhaling her name in relief as he dropped into the chair beside her bed. She could feel shaking as he took her hand in his but she wasn't sure if it was him or her. His face was covered in cuts and bruises but otherwise appeared unharmed. Similarly she and the baby were fine but the doctor warned she should try to keep her stress level down.

Walter immediately put her on medical leave, which resulted in their first real fight since they started dating. She refused to be sidelined, agreeing to take it easy but not willing to stop working completely. When Walter said she had no choice in that authoritarian, dictator tone of his, everyone in the garage, including Ferret Bueller, scattered.

Paige forced herself to remain calm but she refused to stand down, using logic as well as her newly acquired knowledge of Walter's inability to refuse her. She probably should have felt guilty for that but for the first time in a long time she didn't.

Walter finally, grudgingly, agreed, and once he gave her his word he abided by it. She and the baby were fine, her blood pressure was normal, and things had started to get back on track. Walter was keeping her work load lighter than normal, taking on some of the paperwork himself no matter how much she insisted to him she could handle it.

She hadn't seen Tim since that day in the hospital but he called her everyday to see how she and the baby were.

Since he'd returned from being held hostage he was exhibiting anger management issues. She first noticed it on the roof the night Tim returned. Then every time he and Walter were in the vicinity of each other he became irritated and angry. She couldn't imagine what he'd gone through, as he was still unable to share it, but she could only imagine the horror he'd endured and just how that might have affected his psyche.

But after her hospitalization she asked Tim not to come by the garage anymore because she didn't want to deal with him and Walter at each other's throats. They needed to figure out how to co-exist and she was probably going to have to enlist Cabe to assist her in getting them to bury the hatchet. Or take Happy up on her offer to kick both their asses. But so far Tim had been honoring her request, although every time he spoke to her he took the opportunity to take digs at Walter.

Perhaps she needed to ask Cabe to intervene sooner than later.

Paige looked up at the sound of the door opening. Walter and Ralph walked in, the mentor having picked up the mentee from school so she could relax.

"Hi sweetie," she said as she stood. "How was school?"

"Fine," he said as he dropped his backpack onto the chair and walked into the kitchen to get an apple.

"Did he just completely blow me off?" Paige asked as she looked at Walter confused by her son's uncharacteristic behavior.

"He got a detention," Walter replied as he kissed her on the cheek. "He has to serve it tomorrow morning before school."

"What? Why?" Paige asked but before Walter could answer, the door to the garage slammed open and a very angry Tim stormed in.

Walter immediately stepped in front of Paige as her ex stomped up to them both.

"Just who the hell do you think you are, O'Brien?" he barked as he got right into Walter's face.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Walter replied dismissively.

"The hell you don't," Tim growled as he clenched his fists at his sides.

"Tim, what are you doing here? What's going on?" Paige asked as she stepped to the side so she could see both men. Fury was radiating off Tim and Paige quickly glanced over her shoulder to see where Ralph was. He didn't need to see the two men going at it. He'd already witnessed more than he should have when she was in the hospital.

Tim ignored her and grabbed Walter by the front of his shirt. "You think a stunt like this is going to work? Think again."

"Let go of my shirt, Tim," Walter said in a low voice as glared back at the taller man in front of him, shoving Tim's hand away and maneuvering himself so he was again between Paige and her ex. "You're just proving my concern is warranted."

"You can't get rid of me," Tim ground out through clenched teeth. "You won't get away with this."

"Walter, what did you do?" Paige asked quietly as Toby and Happy walked over with Sly trailing more hesitantly behind them.

"What's going on over here?" Toby asked casually but his demeanor told another story. Happy moved to stand next to Paige and the liaison noticed she had a wrench in her hand.

"Walter, I asked you a question," Paige said as she gripped his bicep her fingers.

"I expressed my concern to Homeland that Tim seems to be exhibiting some unpredictable and irrational behavior since he returned from his captivity," Walter answered without taking his eyes off Tim.

"You did what?" she said as she released his arm and crossed her arms over her chest.

"More like he said I was suffering from violent PTSD episodes," Tim growled and the anger radiating off the former SEAL was palpable.

"I can't help how Homeland interpreted my report," Walter replied nonchalantly.

"Sly, call Cabe and tell him he needs to get down here, stat," Paige heard Toby mutter from behind her. "197 has stirred up a shitstorm."

Refocusing on the men in front of her, Paige released a long breath. "Walter, why would you do that?"

There was no remorse in his eyes as he looked at her. "Because his behavior gave me cause for concern… for your safety."

"Oh, give me a break," Tim scoffed. "You just wanted me out of the picture. You knew Homeland would take a report like that seriously and would be compelled to launch an investigation."

"Tim wouldn't do anything to hurt me, Walter. You know that," Paige scolded her boyfriend with a frown. Even with his anger issues, lately, Paige didn't think he would do anything to her. Especially with her carrying his child.

"I know no such thing. And I'm not willing to take the chance," Walter replied firmly. "There is no telling what he's capable of after what happened to him in Jordan."

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Tim snapped. "You know nothing about what I went through."

"I know more than you think," Walter retorted and Tim grabbed the front of his shirt again. "Did you hack into my records?"

"Whoa, there Timbo," Toby said and stepped forward. "Let's all take a step back."

"Of course I did," Walter said at the same time as he pulled out of Tim's grasp. "I'm not going to risk Paige of her children's safety without having all the facts."

"Walter," Paige said exasperated. She could see a worried Ralph out of the corner of her eye as he walked up to stand beside Happy and she wanted to strangle them both.

"This is just a desperate attempt to get me out of the picture," Tim accused. "We'll forget it because I'm not going anywhere. It's pretty pathetic if you ask me," the former SEAL scoffed derisively.

"Nobody asked you," Walter replied with a sneer.

"Soon enough you'll screw up royally. How can you not? And Paige will see the mistake she's making. And then I'll have Paige and Ralph and our daughter and you'll have no one O'Brien. So enjoy it while you can."

"Tim, stop," Paige demanded as she watched Walter's entire body tense. Her ex was using Walter's greatest fear against him and it was impossible to know how Walter would lash back.

"I suggest you run off to your psych eval, _Timbo_."

"I'm not going anywhere," Tim spat as he stepped into Walter's face again. "You're messing with the wrong SEAL, O'Brien."

Walter reached out and pushed Paige behind him as he stood up straighter. "You should know by now what I'm capable of so I wouldn't suggest messing with me either because brains will always outwit brawn," Walter said derisively.

"I'll show you brawn," Tim threatened just as Paige snapped.

"That's it!" the liaison shouted over their bickering and stepped in between them. "Both of you outside now! I will not have you becoming violent in front of my son again!"

She pointed to the back door of the garage and when neither man moved she arched an eyebrow and that was all it took. Walter stomped toward the back door and Tim followed, both of their strides reflecting the bubbling anger threatening to explode.

"You want me to come along to help you referee between Tweedledum and Tweedledee?" Toby asked and she shook her head as she started to follow them. "Maybe you should wait for Cabe to get here."

"No. I can handle it." Paige saw the worry in Ralph's eyes and she reached over and ran her fingers through his hair gently. "Go back to your homework, Ralph. Everything will be alright."

She took a deep breath and headed toward the back door where Walter and Tim were already waiting for her in the alley. When she opened the door they were standing nose to nose.

"Hey," she said just as Tim's hands came up and shoved Walter's chest.

Walter stumbled but he regained his balance before stepping forward to shove the slightly larger man back as Tim's clenched fist was lifting. But Paige's voice caught both men's attention.

"Stop it!" Paige screeched and the stopped and turned to her. "I'm tired of being the fire hydrant in this pissing match between you."

Walter cringed and she suspected it was her choice of words but she was too angry to find his reaction amusing as she stepped between them. She wouldn't put it past them to start shoving each other again but she knew they never would if she was in harm's way. Walter stepped back a step to give her and her stomach room.

"Both of you are going to grow up and act like the adults you are."

She looked back and forth between them before she stopped and pointed her finger at her ex.

"Tim, I don't know what happened to you but Walter is right you are exhibiting worrisome behavior that you perhaps need to deal with professionally. And I know you are still struggling with my decision to remain with Walter but you need to accept it. It's not going to change now or after the baby comes. Neither will my commitment to Scorpion so you need to find a way to accept that. I will not let our daughter become a pawn in a tug of war between us. Don't underestimate my mother's instinct to protect my child because you will lose."

Before he could respond Paige noticed the smirk on Walter's lips out of the corner of her eye and she whipped her head and finger toward him.

"And you! Wipe that smirk on your face, Walter." He immediately sobered. "Tim isn't a danger to me or any of us. But he is going to agree to seek counseling if he wants me to feel comfortable with in my daughter's life."

"W-what?" Tim sputtered.

"You will," Paige said firmly before she turned back to Walter.

"And Tim is going to be a permanent part of our lives just like Drew is." Walter looked like he bit into something bitter at Drew's name. "So you also need to accept that." Paige's voice softened. "I love you, Walter, but my children's welfare and what is best for them will always come first."

Tim made a gagging sound and Paige knew it was in response to her telling Walter she loved him so she turned back to him with a glare.

"Grow up, Tim. Gunning for Walter every time you see him is childish. I know you wanted us to pick up where we left off but even if I wasn't with him, we weren't in a good place. We both knew it wasn't working."

"I didn't." Tim crossed his arms over his chest.

"Then you had blinders on," Paige said as gently as she could manage but he couldn't hide the hurt her words evoked.

"This isn't about us anymore anyway," he insisted changing the subject. "Scorpion isn't safe for a child and I don't want our daughter to be brought up in this garage."

"She'll be safer here with us then she'll ever be with you," Walter scoffed and Paige frowned at him.

"Does the phrase 'don't poke an irritated tiger' mean anything to you?"

"That's rich, coming from you, O'Brien. How many times have you put both Paige and Ralph in danger?"

"Tim, that isn't fair." She was tired to having to say that to him.

"No," Tim snapped at her. "What isn't fair is that you should be with me, not this emotionally stunted robot who is incapable of treating you with the respect and love you deserve. Instead all he's ever done is break your heart and put your and Ralph's lives in danger."

"Tim, we're not going to have this argument again."

"I know why you feel compelled to keep Ralph here but our daughter isn't going to be a genius. She doesn't need to be around them. I don't want her around them. And I'll fight you on it if I have to."

"Excuse me?" Paige's voice took on a dangerous tone and both Walter and Tim were smart enough to take another step back from her. Just as she was about to tear Tim a new ass hole a clattering came from beside them as the metal door flew open and Toby, Sly and Ralph came tumbling out.

"Oh, shit," Toby muttered as he managed to break his fall and not land on top of the twelve year old.

"Toby, what the hell?" Paige snapped angrily. "I told you I could handle this."

The three stooges scrambled to stand and Ralph walked toward Walter and stood between him and Paige.

"I know but," Toby looked first at Ralph and then Sylvester. "It was Sly's idea."

"Seriously," Sly complained as his mouth dropped open. "I can't believe you threw me under the bus. Where's the loyalty?"

"Would you prefer I throw Ralph under the bus, Sly?"

"Idiots," Paige could hear Happy say from just inside the door and she knew the mechanic was watching closely. Somehow it made her feel better.

"Go back inside and stay out of this Toby," Paige said tiredly. "That means you too, Sly."

"Yeah, this is a real great environment for a child," Tim scoffed under his breath. "I can't believe I stuck it out here as long as I did."

"Yeah, neither can I," Walter said and Tim reached around Paige and shoved his shoulder.

"Why don't you say that again," Tim egged him.

"Back off, Armstrong," Walter and stood a little straighter as Paige put one hand on each of their chests.

"Shut up!" Ralph's voice rang over the chatter. Several sets of surprised eyes looked at him but he ignored them and looked up at his mother.

"Mom, you're not supposed to get upset like this." He turned to look at his mentor. "Walter, do something."

"Paige, Ralph's right," Walter said gently. "Let's go back inside. Armstrong you're no longer welcome here. If you show up here again I'll get a restraining order." Walter put his hand on the small of Paige's back and tried to urge her toward the door but she just stepped away from him and reached for Ralph. He didn't show strong emotion very often and he was clearly upset and worried for her and she needed reassure him.

"Ralph, honey, I'm okay. I want you to go back inside and I'll be there in a few minutes. Get your things together because we're going home."

"What? Why are you leaving?" Walter asked his voice laced with panic.

"Walter, please just take Ralph inside," she implored quietly. "Tim and I have a few things we need to talk about."

Tim was threatening her and she wasn't going to be threatened.

"I'm not leaving you here with him," Walter refused and Paige let out a small scream. She was at her breaking point.

"Walter, just do as I ask!"

Walter looked at her for a long moment. "I don't like this."

"Walter?" Ralph looked up at him and it was clear he was as uncomfortable leaving her with Tim as Walter was.

"I'll be fine, Ralph. Tim's not going to hurt me," Paige said before she glanced at the former SEAL. "I can't say the same for me though, she added under her breath."

"Walter, please," she asked again. He hesitated for another few seconds before he nodded reluctantly. "I'll be right back. Come on Ralph."

Walter led her son toward the door that Toby and Sly has slipped back through after she yelled at them. They were still hovering just inside, out of sight, but she knew they were there. She turned back to Tim and her gaze turned to ice.

"Don't you ever threaten me again, Tim."

"Paige, be reasonable. You can't blame me for being worried. I never took you for a mother who would put her children in danger just so she could get laid."

Paige's hand flew out and connected with his cheek before she realized what she was doing. "If you think I'm such a horrible mother then you can take me to court because that's the only way you're going to see your daughter now."

"You will not keep me from my child," he growled and reached for her. His large fingers wrapped around her elbow as he yanked her to the side.

"Get your hands off her," Walter's voice boomed from the doorway.

"I've done this on my own, once already, and I can do it again. Now let me go," Paige snapped as she yanked her arm out of Tim's grip. She lost her footing and stumbled backwards off the sidewalk.

The last thing Paige consciously registered was the sound of screeching tires, the impact of the vehicle slamming into her body, sending her airborne with her feet over her head, and the sound of Walter, Tim and Ralph simultaneously screaming her name.

The gray concrete of the street rushed up to meet her and she felt a searing, indescribable pain shoot through her abdomen before everything went black.

#############

Walter hated funerals.

The first one he remembered attending was his maternal grandfather's when he was four years old. He remembered his grandmother crying, his mother taking charge and cooking a mountain of food, his grandfather's prone corpse laid out on the dining room table and the smell of whiskey as his mother's uncles toasted the dead man's life until they were all falling down drunk.

It was a typical Irish wake and funeral before they carried his grandfather's body down to the cemetery.

As he looked at the woman beside him, the woman he loved, still and quiet, virtually lifeless, he was once again struck by an intense wave of gratitude that he wasn't attending hers.

At least not yet.

There was another funeral happening as he sat beside her, one he wasn't invited to, but he wouldn't have left her side anyway. In the twenty four days since she'd been struck by the Jenson's delivery truck, Walter hadn't left Paige's side for more than a few minutes, just long enough to take a shower in the nurse's lounge, and only after the insistence of both the hospital staff and Ralph because they said he was starting to reek.

Thanks to Cabe's position with Homeland and Toby's stellar psychological manipulation skills, the hospital administrators authorized a mobile cot to be provided, first just outside her room in ICU and then in Paige's private room once she was moved. Not that he got much sleep.

Walter had never been one who needed a lot of sleep, but for the first two weeks, when it had been touch and go several times, he hadn't dare sleep, lest something happen to her while he did. Finally his body crashed, although he suspected Toby might have drugged him. But he still refused to leave her side.

Tim and his family were finally burying Paige's daughter, having delayed with the hopes Paige would wake. Cabe and the rest of the team were invited, as was Ralph, but Walter was very deliberately excluded because Tim blamed him for the series of events that led up to Paige stumbling into the street.

Even though Tim was the one who had grabbed her, which resulted in her pulling away and staggering backward, Walter didn't disagree with the former SEAL. He should have insisted they return to the garage to talk rationally and logically. And although he was honoring Paige's wishes by taking Ralph inside, Walter should have insisted she join them and not engage the angry former member of Scorpion.

If he'd been closer, he would have been able to grab her. If he'd gone with his first instinct, he would have punched Tim in the face as soon as he grabbed Paige's arm. But Paige warned him off; insisted Walter let her handle her ex.

And he did what she asked.

And now her daughter was dead and she was in a coma. And Walter was going to live with the image, burned in his memory, of Paige's body airborne from the impact of the truck slamming into her, the way she flipped and came down on the windshield, shattering the glass, and then bouncing in such a way that almost defied physics before her body again descended head first.

It was only the metal bumper that had come loose from the impact of hitting her that stopped her from slamming into the concrete face first. But it was the jagged metal piercing her abdomen, almost ripping her unborn child from her body, which kept her from breaking her neck as she landed.

Toby jumped into action instantly as Happy called 911. And Toby's fast thinking in that moment, when Walter's brain shut down, was the only reason Paige was alive. The infant was already deceased by the time the ambulance arrived. Paige was rushed into surgery for an emergency C-section, but there was nothing that could be done. The metal from the bumper has severed its head.

Paige flat-lined in the ambulance and on the table. Once the child was removed from her body she immediately underwent brain surgery to relieve fluid and swelling caused by the double impact of her head hitting the windshield and then the curb. Those eleven seconds were something Walter's eidetic memory would never let him forget. Those eleven seconds would play on a constant loop for the rest of his life, consuming him with guilt, as a constant reminder that he failed her.

Paige had been unconscious for the last twenty four days, seven hours, thirty six minutes and nineteen seconds. Although she had been exhibiting some signs of waking, every second, minute, hour and day that went by the statistical probability of her coming out of her coma diminished.

The first twenty four hours, as Walter and Ralph and the rest of the team waited for news of her condition had been the longest hours of his life.

* * *

 _Walter paced the emergency waiting room like a caged animal. The constant noise of patients, ambulances, doctors, and nurses rushing in and out of the sliding front doors was like nails on a chalkboard. All Walter wanted was a little peace and quiet to think. All Walter wanted was to see Paige with his own eyes, and know she was alive._

 _Ralph had already hacked into the hospital's computer system so they could constantly monitor the updates that the medical team had time to input. It kept the young boy's mind occupied and Walter was grateful for that because he could tell Ralph was on the verge of melting down like he was._

 _Toby approached carrying a paper cup of coffee. "You probably don't need caffeine right now but something warm might help. The vending machine didn't have any tea."_

 _Walter had switched to drinking tea when Paige had a few months earlier. She'd tried drinking decaffeinated coffee but it gave her heartburn so she switched to herbal teas. It hadn't been a conscious or deliberate decision on his part to also switch, it just happened. And it delighted Paige more than it probably should have. And when he bought an electric tea pot for her she was so pleased she dragged him into the airstream and spent an hour showering him with thanks that had the genius's mind turn to mush._

 _"_ _I'm not thirsty, Toby."_

 _Toby set the coffee cup down. "How's the eye feeling?"_

 _Walter scowled at the reminder of the black eye he was sporting thanks to Paige's ex. In a very uncharacteristic move, Walter physically attacked Tim in the waiting room when the ex SEAL arrived. Walter had insisted in traveling in the ambulance with Paige by telling the EMT's that she was his wife. Toby confirmed the lie despite Tim's very vocal contradiction._

 _The team arrived at the emergency room only minutes after the ambulance and as soon as Tim rushed in, Walter swung at him and then a brawl ensued until the police escorted both men out. Fortunately Cabe was arriving just as they were both being handcuffed. The agent smoothed things over with the hospital administration and the police and he'd been keeping Walter and Tim apart ever since. The ex SEAL was already aware that his daughter was dead but he refused to leave until he knew Paige's condition. Every time Walter caught a glance of Paige's ex, a red haze of anger he'd never before experienced overcame him. But his worry and fear for Paige overshadowed any anger he had and he remained on the other side of the room because he knew that would be what Paige would want._

 _"_ _Why haven't they been out to tell us anything in more than forty one minutes and seven seconds?"_

 _"_ _Because their priority is caring for her, not updating us." Toby glanced at his watch. "I checked with the nurse five minutes ago and I'll check with her again in a few."_

 _"_ _According to Ralph there has been no computer update in almost an hour."_

 _Toby moved in front of Walter to stop him from pacing. "Walt, you need to take a breath and sit down for a minute. I know you're terrified right now but you need to be there for Ralph."_

 _"I was just with him ten minutes ago."_

 _"_ _He needs more from you than to just ask him if there are any updates. The kid's mother is in critical condition. He witnessed the exact same thing you did so you know it's playing on a loop inside his head too," Toby said knowingly and Walter cringed, horrified. Why hadn't he thought of that?_

 _"_ _Paige needs you to be there for him right now," Toby continued. "We have to believe she is going to be alright but that kid needs your reassurance."_

 _"_ _Mr. O'Brien?"_

 _Walter heard his name and whipped around to see a surgeon standing a few feet away._

 _"_ _I'm Walter O'Brien."_

 _"_ _I'm Dr. Bradshaw. I operated on your wife, Miss Dineen."_

 _"_ _Why has no one updated us before now?" he demanded angrily and Toby slapped his hand down on Walter's shoulder in warning._

 _"_ _You'll have to please excuse, Walter," Toby said as he stepped forward. "His people skills suck. I'm Dr. Tobias Curtis, Miss Dineen's personal physician."_

 _"_ _Toby, let the man speak," Walter snapped. "What is Paige's condition?"_

 _Dr. Bradshaw shot Walter a look before he addressed Toby again._

 _"_ _Dr. Curtis, I think it is probably best you, Mr. O'Brien and I speak in private. Will you follow me?"_

 _The doctor motioned toward a door off to the left. Walter felt his stomach drop to his feet. He and Toby moved to follow when Ralph hurried over followed by the rest of the team who had been scattered around the waiting room._

 _"_ _Walter, how is my mom?"_

 _"_ _We're going to find out, buddy," Walter replied as he squeezed Ralph's shoulder._

 _"_ _You wait out here with Happy and Sly and we'll be right out okay kiddo," Toby said but was interrupted by Tim who rushed over with Cabe on his heels._

 _"_ _How is Paige?"_

 _"_ _It's none of your business," Walter growled._

 _"_ _He's not her husband and that baby was mine," Tim insisted as he tried to push forward._

 _"_ _Not cool, Armstrong," Happy muttered._

 _"_ _He might as well be," Sly said as Cabe put a hand on Tim's chest._

 _"_ _Tim, you need to back up and cool off."_

 _"_ _Walter is my mom's boyfriend," Ralph said from beside Walter and he slid his hand into the genius's as Toby tried to diffuse the situation._

 _"_ _Technically Walter and Paige aren't married but they are engaged."_

 _Walter pursed his lips at Toby's lie but he wasn't about to contradict him and risk not being allowed into the room to hear about Paige's condition. But as a precaution he slipped his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Ralph who caught on instantly. The young genius tapped a few buttons and synched it with Toby's phone so in a worst case scenario they could listen to the conversation in the other room._

 _"_ _Oh for god's sakes, all of you get in there," Dr. Bradshaw snapped shortly as he pointed to the door with a scowl. In an odd, twisted, kind of way it reminded Walter of Paige._

 _Everyone slinked into the room quietly. When Tim tried to enter, Walter stepped in front of him._

 _"_ _I don't think so."_

 _Tim was about to push his way past Walter physically when Cabe stepped between them._

 _"_ _Tim, if you care about Paige at all you'll step back and let the doctor speak to Toby and Walter," the agent said quietly. The former SEAL shot a betrayed look at the agent before he backed out of the room and stomped away._

 _"_ _Ralph, why don't you stay with me out here and let Walter and Toby talk to the doctor."_

 _"_ _No," he said and gripped Walter's hand tighter._

 _"_ _Cabe, Ralph should be here," Walter replied._

 _"_ _I have to get back to Miss Dineen, so can whoever is leaving, please do so and shut the door."_

 _The doctor was clearly irritated and Walter couldn't blame him._

 _"_ _Sly, Happy, let's give them some privacy," Cabe said and led the others out._

 _Walter turned to the doctor and his chest tightened at the grim look on his face._

 _"_ _It may be wise to have the boy wait outside," the doctor said and Walter released Ralph's hand and pulled the young boy against his side._

 _"_ _No. He has a right to know his mother's condition and he is smarter than everyone in this room."_

 _"_ _Fine," Dr. Bradshaw sighed. "Miss Dineen is stable but critical. She lost a tremendous amount of blood. We have performed multiple transfusions and, as I said, she is stable for the moment but she is not out of the woods yet."_

 _"_ _What about her brain?" Walter asked and he unconsciously held Ralph tighter to his side._

 _"_ _She suffered multiple head traumas to both the frontal and rear lobe. We have drilled two holes, one on each side of her head to relieve the buildup of pressure and fluid but she will need to be monitored closely. She is in ICU and will remain there for the foreseeable future."_

 _"What kind of long term neurological effects can we expect?"_

 _"_ _It is too early to tell anything, Mr. O'Brien. We will just have to wait and see. She is in a coma, which is the best thing for her right now. We need to limit neurological stimulation until we can get the swelling reduced. Then if she wakes up we will find out if there are any lasting effects of the trauma."_

 _"_ _You mean when she wakes up," Walter replied abruptly, furious that the doctor would say something like that in front of Ralph._

 _"_ _There is no guarantee she will wake, Mr. O'Brien, but if she survives the next forty eight hours, her chances of survival increase exponentially."_

 _"_ _I want a second opinion," Walter demanded and Toby reached out and squeezed his arm hard as a warning to shut the hell up._

 _"_ _Again, please excuse Walter. He is obviously distraught at the moment."_

 _"_ _You are more than welcome to get a second opinion, Mr. O'Brien, but I am head of neurology at this hospital and I assure you, Miss Dineen is getting the best care possible. But the next forty eight hours are critical."_

 _"_ _What about her other injuries?" Toby asked cautiously._

 _The doctor paused before he spoke again._

 _"_ _Miss Dineen suffered extensive abdominal trauma. We did all we could to preserve her life but unfortunately in doing so we were unable to save her uterus. I'm sorry."_

 _Walter felt his chest tightened. He unconsciously tightened his grip on Ralph and he felt the boy reciprocate. Walter suspected their embrace was the only thing that kept both of them standing. Ralph was a genius and he understood the implications of what the doctors were forced to do to save his mother's life._

 _His mother would live. Walter refused to accept any other outcome. But she would never have another biological child of her own. And even though Walter knew it was selfish he couldn't help the additional devastation that filled him because that meant he would never have a biological child of his own either._

* * *

The only sound in the otherwise quiet room was her soft rhythmic breathing. It gave Walter comfort to hear because it meant she was vital and alive when everything else about her was so still and lifeless. Her head had been shaved so the surgeons could relieve the pressure on her brain but the stitches had been removed. Her hair was starting to grow back but it was still shorter than even his. But she was still the loveliest woman he'd ever seen.

For the first time Walter understood what it had been like for Sly when Megan was in her last days. The mathematician refused to leave his wife's side, only participating in cases if it was absolutely necessary. Walter had assisted on a couple from the hospital when he could use his laptop or tablet but he refused to allow Scorpion to take on any case that would require him to leave her. Cabe had been able to keep Homeland at bay so far but Walter doubted they would keep their distance much longer. But Walter didn't care. He would shutter Scorpion before he would leave Paige's side.

She'd been off the ventilator for almost a week and her breathing on her own was a good sign but Walter still wished she would just open her eyes. Walter felt helpless at the moment, fidgety and impatient. While she was unconscious, all of her medical decisions were being made by Toby. And Walter's discovery of Toby's authority was one of the more volatile moments since her accident.

* * *

 _"_ _When did Paige make you her medical power of attorney?"_

 _Walter could see Toby hesitate to answer and he knew he wasn't going to like the answer._

 _"_ _About a year ago," the behaviorist replied cautiously. "Look, Walt-"_

 _"_ _I don't understand," the genius interrupted as he tried to wrap his brain around the fact that Paige hadn't asked him. "Why would she ask you?"_

 _"_ _Uh…. maybe because I'm a doctor?"_

 _Walter watched as Toby check the machines Paige was hooked up to._

 _"_ _Toby would be the logical choice to make medical decisions for all of us should something happen," Sly offered up trying to diffuse the quickly escalating conversation._

 _"_ _Why wouldn't she ask me?" Walter was baffled and confused and hurt._

 _"_ _You intubated your sister against her will."_

 _Happy smacked Toby on the arm. "A little sensitivity right now, Doc."_

 _"_ _Paige is intubated now," Walter retorted._

 _"_ _She's still having difficulty breathing on her own right now. But when she can the doctors will take her off. Look, Walt," Toby said again as she walked over to stand beside Walter. The genius tensed. "Paige told me I was only to make sure her wishes were honored if it was an absolute last resort."_

 _"_ _You will not take her off life support, Toby." Walter clenched his hands at his sides to keep himself from reaching for the behaviorist._

 _"_ _Of course I wouldn't right now."_

 _"_ _Uh, Doc," Happy said from beside them. "You might want to remove the 'right now' qualifier from that sentence unless you want Walt to melt down."_

 _"_ _You will not take her off life support, Toby," Walter reiterated in a low voice._

 _"_ _It's not going to come to that, Walt." Walter received minor comfort from the confidence in Toby's voice but it did very little to truly calm his panic. "Paige is strong and healthy and she's a fighter. Her mind and body are just protecting her while she heals. It's only been two weeks and statistics are on her side. I'm confident Paige's chances of coming out of it are good."_

 _Walter grabbed Toby by the front of his shirt. "You will never take her off life support, do you hear me?"_

 _"_ _Walter."_

 _Ralph's voice was the only thing that penetrated the haze of panic in Walter's brain and he looked over at the young boy sitting beside his mother's bed. Walter could see the pain and worry and fear for his mother in the young boy's eyes and Walter knew his own eyes reflected the same._

 _"_ _What is it buddy?" he asked gently as he let Toby go._

 _"_ _If mom trusts Toby to make her decisions for her then we should too. He loves her too. He won't let her die. Scorpion doesn't fail, remember?"_

 _The child's words crushed him because he knew logically Ralph was right. Toby would do everything in his power to save Paige. Everyone in that room would. And Ralph's confidence in all of them to save the person both he and the boy loved most was humbling. Walter had to let go of the hurt, that Paige trusted Toby with this over him. This wasn't about him. This was about saving the woman he loved._

 _Walter looked back as his friend and nodded his acknowledgment even though he knew deep down he would fight Toby with his last breath if it came to it._

* * *

Fortunately it hadn't come to it. Paige was no longer intubated. She was breathing on her own and slowly her body was recovering physically. It was her mind that was taking longer and although Walter still harbored some hurt and resentment about the entire situation, his main focus was rousing her.

Walter rubbed his eyes before reaching for Paige's hand. He massaged her fingers then entwined his own with hers. He glanced at the clock noticing it was time for her physical therapy. Coma patients suffered muscle atrophy quickly and he wanted to make sure she was as strong, physically, as possible when she awoke.

The cast on her right wrist had been removed the day before and the skin on her fingers and forearm was wrinkled, her fingers and wrist bones were brittle and delicate. He gently massaged each finger and then her wrist, turning and bending it as he stretched the muscles.

He stood up and walked to the end of the bed to work her legs just as the door opened and the head nurse on duty, Chelsea, walked in.

"Hello, Walter," she greeted with a smile.

"Hello," he said and stopped. He let his hand rest on her ankle as he waited for Chelsea to check Paige's vitals, although he had already been monitoring them closely as usual. All she had to do was ask him how Paige was doing and he could have told her.

Walter didn't like many of the nurses at the hospital, thought most of them were incompetent, but Chelsea was different. She was intelligent and knowledgeable and diligent in her care for Paige.

"How's our girl doing today?"

"She exhibited more involuntary muscle movements in both her hands and she responded to my voice, by turning her head approximately 21 degrees when I spoke to her. But I can't get her to open her eyes or squeeze my hand when I ask her to."

"Those are all good signs, Walter," Chelsea said with a warm smile. "Waking from a coma is not like waking from a regular sleep but I don't need to tell you that, do I, Mr. 197 IQ?" she teased and Walter pursed his lips in response.

She'd overheard Toby call him 197 once and later when everyone had gone home for the day, she asked what that meant. When he told her and she just laughed and said that explained a lot, Walter wasn't sure what to think. But from then on, she started calling him that when she teased him. And Chelsea teased him often when she tended to Paige. At first he didn't appreciate it but he grew to tolerate it after Ralph told him she was doing it to try to put him at ease and because of how meticulous she was with her care for Paige.

"She's doing well, Walter. Just keep trying to coax her out. If she's as crazy about you as you are about her she won't be able to stay away."

Once again she was trying to comfort him and encourage him to remain optimistic but he didn't need her to do that. He would never give up on Paige. And she would wake up. Any other outcome was unfathomable to him.

"Where's cutie?" she asked referring to Ralph by the nickname she gave him. She apparently had a thing for nicknames and, like Walter; Ralph indulged her because of how well she took care of his mom.

"He is at the funeral."

"Oh," Chelsea replied softly as she smiled sadly. "That poor thing. I know you don't want to leave Paige but shouldn't you be there with him?"

"No," Walter replied unfazed by her question. From anyone else the question would be intrusive but somehow from Chelsea it wasn't because it was genuine.

"I was banned by the child's father. But Ralph has the whole team with him so he will be fine."

Chelsea didn't dwell on his answer she only gave him that look. The one she gave him when she wanted him to get lost.

"I have to change her catheter, big boy. Why don't you take a break and grab something to eat in the cafeteria? By the time you're done she'll be hooked back up and all cleaned up."

Walter didn't want to leave Paige but Chelsea always booted him out when she needed to tend to Paige's more personal needs. At first he refused but Chelsea was tougher than she looked and he eventually skulked out of the room, begrudgingly, waiting outside the door and knocking on it several times before Chelsea yanked it open and glared at him with her hands on her hips. Now she insisted he completely leave the area so he wouldn't constantly harass her when she was getting Paige cleaned up.

And he was hungry so a trip to the cafeteria didn't sound so bad. The last time he ate was the night before when Toby and Happy brought him and Ralph Kovelsky's take out before they took the boy back to their apartment to sleep.

"I'll finish exercising her legs when I return."

"I wish my wife would exercise my legs for me. Instead she boots me out the door and tells me to go jogging."

"Speed walking is a better option than jogging and less jarring on the joints," Walter said unable to help himself but Chelsea just laughed.

"Get out of here and let me get our girl cleaned up for you." Walter nodded and turned to go. "And don't you dare come back here for at least thirty minutes," she called after him as he exited the room.

############

Walter swallowed the last bite of his turkey sandwich just as he heard Ralph call his name. He turned to see the young genius walking toward him.

"Hey, buddy," he greeted as Cabe, Happy, Toby and Sly walked up behind him.

"What are you doing down here, boss?" Happy asked as she sat in the chair across from him.

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied as he pushed the tray away.

"We were all starving so we decided to detour in here and were going to bring you something to eat."

"Yeah," Sly added as he turned his band-aid wedding band around his finger. "We figured you wouldn't have eaten."

"Chelsea kick you out?" Toby asked as he dropped into a chair beside Walter.

"She's changing Paige's catheter and getting her cleaned up."

"Okay, ewww, TMI O'Brien," Happy said as she cringed. Out of the corner of his eye, Walter could see Sly mimic her actions.

Cabe laughed as he slapped Sly on the shoulder. "Come on, kid. Let's go get some grub. What do you want to eat Ralph?"

"I'll have a turkey sandwich with mustard, not mayonnaise, an apple and a glass of milk."

Walter smiled because Ralph ordered exactly what he'd eaten himself.

"How's my mom?" he asked as he turned his attention to Walter.

"She turned her head toward me when I said her name but she still won't open her eyes when I ask her."

"Has she squeezed your hand like she did to me yesterday?"

"No," Walter shook his head. "But we'll try coaxing her out again today."

Ralph looked at him and nodded silently. The young genius had reverted back to his previous behavior patterns since the accident. Paige told Walter once that prior to meeting Walter and the team Ralph only talked to her and only when she addressed him directly. Since Paige had been injured Ralph only spoke to him unless directly asked a question by someone else. Then he would only answer and revert back into silence.

No one brought up the funeral and Walter didn't ask as the rest of the team ate their lunch. They told Walter about a new case they were working on that, for once, wasn't something that required them to try to save the world. But it wasn't long before Walter started fidgeting, the desire to return to Paige becoming overwhelming. It had been longer than the thirty minutes Chelsea told him to stay away so he decided it was time to head back to her room.

"I'm going to back to Paige. I'll see you up there."

"I'm coming with you," Ralph said as he tossed his sandwich on the plate. "I want to help you exercise her legs."

"It's okay, buddy. Finish your lunch first. Your mom would want you to eat. I'll wait for you to get up there to do anything."

Toby stood up and pushed in his chair. "Well I'm done so I'll go. It will give Chelsea a chance to flirt with me before my woman gets up there."

"In your dreams. Doc."

"I dream only about you my beloved but I can't help it if women fall all over themselves in my presence." Toby winked at Happy and she threw a french fry at his head as he and Walter turned to go.

"That's because they're trying to run away from you," Cabe said as he took another bite of his roast beef sandwich.

"Does Toby not know Chelsea is married to a woman?" was the last thing Walter heard as he and the behaviorist walked away.

##########

Walter and Toby walked past the nurse's station and approached Paige's room. Chelsea was not at the desk and Walter frowned. She should have been done and back at the desk by now.

When he pushed the door open he was greeted with a sight that made his knees almost give out beneath him. The head of Paige's bed had been raised up and she was sitting and looking around. Chelsea was standing at the end of the bed while Dr. Bradshaw stood beside it and was talking to her quietly.

"Paige!" Toby said gleefully as he pushed past Walter to enter the room. "Damn, girl, it's about time you woke up."

Walter was frozen in his spot. He wanted to rush to her but she looked so disoriented he was afraid of frightening her.

Paige looked at Toby, startled by his boisterous greeting before she looked back at the doctor.

"I want to see my son," she said with a voice that was hoarse from disuse.

"Walt, go get Ralph," Toby said as he stood beside Chelsea and read the chart she was holding over her shoulder.

Paige's head whipped toward Toby and her eyes filled with panic. "Where is he? Where is Ralph?"

Walter's body jerked into motion and he strode over to the bed. He dropped down into the chair beside the bed and reached for Paige's hand. He wanted to take her in his arms but he didn't want to scare or hurt her in his eagerness.

Paige looked at him and shifted away as she pulled her hand out of his.

"Mr. O'Brien, we should talk for a moment," Dr. Bradshaw said and he motioned to Chelsea who walked around the bed.

"Do you know where Ralph is?" she asked him as her eyes started to well and her breathing sped up.

"Walter, why don't you come with me and we'll go get Ralph for Paige."

"No!" Walter snapped at Chelsea. "Take Toby to get him."

"Someone needs to bring me my son." She turned her head to look at Walter. "Please bring him to me. He doesn't like to be away from me so he's got to be frightened."

Fear is what Walter saw in Paige's eyes and as much as he didn't want to leave her, if seeing Ralph would take her fear away, he'd do as she asked.

At that moment the door opened and in walked Ralph and the others. When he saw his mother awake, Ralph ran to her.

"Mom," he cried as he flung himself onto the bed beside her.

"Oh my God, Ralph!" Paige cried hoarsely when he threw himself at her. "Oh baby," she cried, tears now streaming down her face.

"I'm so happy you're awake," Ralph said as Walter stepped back and watched as Paige cringed in pain as she hugged Ralph tightly to her.

"Miss Dineen, you need to be careful," Dr. Bradshaw admonished but she ignored him.

"Oh my God, how is this possible?" Paige asked repeatedly as she tilted Ralph's face up to look at her. She ran her hands over his face and into his hair and then down to his shoulders as she kissed his face. "I don't understand. My baby."

Walter shot Toby a worried look when Paige started chanting Ralph's name softly. He saw something flash in Toby's eyes before he said _Oh Shit_ under his breath before he turned and started whispering to Chelsea beside him.

"What is going on Toby?" Walter demanded as he fought the urge to step forward and wrap his arms around both Paige and Ralph. The woman he loved was becoming hysterical and no one was doing anything about it.

"Toby!" Walter snapped the behaviorist's name again but Toby ignored him and walked closer to Paige.

"Paige," he said gently. "It's me Toby. Can you answer something for me?"

She looked up at him and held Ralph tighter to her. Her eyes were wild with confusion and terror.

"How old was Ralph when you last saw him?"

Paige looked down at the boy in her arms and then back up at Toby. Ralph sat up and looked at his mother and she reached out a hand to cradle his cheek.

"Baby," she whispered brokenly.

"How old was he, Paige? Was he a baby?" Toby asked as recognition dawned on the faces of every genius in the room.

"Paige?" Toby said her name again. "How old was Ralph the last time you saw him?"

Paige looked around the room and then back at her son before she whispered.

"Six. My baby was six."

And with those five words Walter felt his entire world drop out from beneath him again.

* * *

Thanks again for reading and if you are so inclined please leave a review.


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